When Uchihas Come To Town
by T'Liana
Summary: A one-armed teenage boy from the countryside visits Kohonagakure on a school trip. While there, he discovers a power that only Uchihas should have. This power could change everything.
1. Prologue

I have no idea where this came from, but I've always liked the idea of the Uchihas being obsessed with perfection and rejecting the members of their clan who aren't perfect. It may not be the way they do it, but just pretend it is for this story. This is totally not cannon and most of the characters are OC. It takes place in between the Land of Waves Arc and the Chuunin Exams Arc.

o.O.o

 **When Uchihas Come To Town**

 **Prologue**

 ** _Seventeen years ago_**

Naka and Naori Uchiha entered their village and were immediately accosted by Naori's brother, Inabi Uchiha.

 _"_ _Naka…" groaned a woman's voice, "I'm scared!"_

 _"_ _I know. You can do this."_

"Are you okay?" the military man Inabi asked, eyeing Naori's swollen belly and dishevelled state. He gazed over their faces and noted broken expressions, though he saw no reason why they should be upset.

 _"_ _Naka, I need you to move between my legs to catch the baby. Please…"_

 _"_ _I can see the head…"_

"She went into labour on the way back from the hot springs," Naka said in a low voice. "It was a stillborn."

 _"_ _It's a boy," he whispered. "A little boy…"_

 _"_ _Can I hold him?"_

Naori burst into tears and Inabi quickly gathered her in his arms. "Shh, it's okay Naori. It's just one child. You can have more and they'll be strong enough to survive. Obviously it wasn't fit to be an Uchiha."

 _"_ _Naka… he only has one arm!"_

 _"_ _What? No…"_

The leader of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku Uchiha, approached the trio with his mask in place. "Am I correct in assuming that the birth did not go well?"

 _"_ _This can't be happening!"_

 _"_ _He can never be one of us. The clan won't let him."_

Naka bit his lip. "No. We have no child for you to welcome."

 _"_ _There was a farmhouse nearby. Maybe he'd be accepted there. Whatever happens, it'll be better than whatever was in store at home. They'd never let a one-armed boy join the clan."_

"A pity," Fugaku said emotionlessly. He spun on his heel and retreated up the street. People had stopped to stare at Naori and Naka's shaking forms and quickly realised why.

 _"_ _I only held him once."_

 _"_ _Naori, we couldn't leave the clan for him. You know that. We couldn't bring him with us either. He'd live under the disproving stares of everyone else and that's no way for a child to live. We can have other children and it'll be like he never existed."_

 _"_ _Somewhere out there is our son and we'll never see him again!"_

Naori gripped Inabi's jacket tightly and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Inabi. I wish we could have brought you news of a nephew…"

 _"_ _It'll be okay. We can always work to change the clan's ideals and bring him back when we have. For now, we can find comfort in the knowledge that the woman who has him is kind."_

 _"_ _You're right Naka. Our clan would never let him join us. They'd see him as weak. I'll always miss him but this way he gets a better chance at living a good life."_

"It doesn't matter as long as you're okay," Inabi said honestly, rubbing her arms for comfort. "Come on, let's get you two home."

o.O.o

 ** _Five years ago_**

Naka and Naori Uchiha stood with their kunai at the ready, eyes narrowed at the cloaked figure approaching them. How dare he threaten the clan! How dare he end a life like it was nothing!

Naka attacked first, stunning with a fireball jutsu and leaping at the figure through the flames. He gasped as a sword pierced his belly and he fell to the ground, dead.

Naori screamed in anguish and threw as many kunai and shuriken as she could, but none of them hit the figure. The sword also pierced her belly and she was cast aside beside her dead husband.

They died then, the knowledge of their only son dying with them.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

School. A home for the studious and a prison for everyone else. It would be better if it was a Shinobi Academy, but alas it was not. This was an institution where students learnt things like Literacy, Numeracy and how to live a boring life.

There were students who hated the boringness factor. Quite a few of them were dropkicks or total idiots. Some of them just didn't want to be there because they weren't academically inclined.

One such student was Dai Nakamura. Slim, black-haired and one-armed, the seventeen-year-old just didn't like sitting in a classroom for six hours a day while there was work to do. The farm wouldn't manage itself while he was stuck in prison. Sorry, school. Even though his right arm was nothing more than a stump (not even an elbow) he already did most of the work on his grandpa's farm because he was young and strong.

Dai fiddled with a pen while waiting for his sensei, Tori Yakashu, to finish the lesson on Numeracy. He didn't know if he would ever need trigonometry in real life but okay.

"Can this just end already?" the boy beside Dai hissed.

Kaito Yamauchi. Blonde and never seen without his glasses, he was Dai's best friend and future family doctor. No one was more passionate about their dream than Kaito – the boy was unstoppable when the topic of the future came up.

On Dai's other side was a rounded girl with curly brown hair and dimples when she smiled. Hikari Shizuka: Dai's childhood-friend-turned-girlfriend. They'd been together for two years and the amethyst ring on her right hand promised many more.

"Apparently there's a really important announcement at the end of class," Hikari whispered. Dai chuckled and swapped his pen for Hikari's hand, squeezing it under the desk. His eyes flicked to the clock and he smiled as the end of class ticked closer.

Tori-sensei was a muscular middle-aged woman who traded a shinobi life to become a small-town sensei. It was great to have someone like her at school, but one had to wonder why she left such a cool job to teach teenagers Literacy and Numeracy.

"Now…" She lowered her hand from the board and tapped a pile of papers on her desk. "With me I have permission forms for your parents to sign."

Whispers broke throughout the room.

"Why would we need permission forms?" Kaito asked Dai.

"Beats me."

" _Quiet_. These forms are to allow you to attend a week-long trip to Kohonagakure."

Chatter broke throughout the room.

"Kohonagakure?" Hikari squeaked. "It's only one of the most powerful shinobi villages of all time! I can't believe we actually get to go!"

Dai laughed. "Why would you want to go there? It's only good if you're studying to become a shinobi and we're not studying to become shinobi." He didn't like crowded places – too much staring for his liking.

"Uh, famous people, amazing shinobi, loads of cool stuff and amazing food." Kaito tick each off on his fingers and stared at his friend in disbelief. "You're impossible to please."

"I think we established years ago that I prefer the country." Dai snickered and whacked Kaito with his stump.

Kaito jerked away and pouted. "Be careful with that thing. It's a poking hazard."

"That's the point."

Tori-sensei called for the class to pay attention again. "Beni, can you pass out the forms? Right, so the trip is for a week and we leave in exactly six days, so have your forms back by then or you won't go. Food and accommodation will be paid for and bear in mind, this whole trip is meant to be educational. We'll be visiting monuments and studying the history of Kohonagakure to better your understanding of how the world works. You're all almost adults and this trip can really open your eyes to the world around you."

Beni (a rather stuck-up girl with waist-length pink hair and a penchant for wearing green headbands) passed Hikari, Dai and Kaito their forms. Dai wrapped his fingers around the separate pages so he could peel them apart and Hikari had to hold the bottom pages down so he could flip through them. Two hands would be handy right about now.

"Okay, maybe it won't be so bad." He scanned the details of their accommodation. "They have breakfast in bed. I just hope hahaoya doesn't mind me leaving the farm for a week… I've never been away that long."

"You've only been away for one night at a time," Hikari pointed out. That was true. If he wasn't on the farm then he was either at school or at Hikari's.

"Lighten up Dai, this is a great experience for our final year at school!" Kaito nudged his best friend. "We can travel and see the world for a bit before getting pinned down in everyday boringness."

A smile wormed its way onto Dai's face. "You're right. This'll be a great experience. I've been convinced. I only hope hahaoya and grandpa let me go."

o.O.o

Red hair. That's how Dai knew that Ruka Nakamura wasn't his real hahaoya and Juro Nakamura wasn't his real grandpa. Both sported freckles and flaming red hair, though Juro's was now peppered grey with age. Ruka was also rather chunky, while the black-haired Dai was slim, and their facial features were nothing alike.

He knew he was adopted long before Ruka ever told him. He was a smart boy, smart enough to love Ruka and Juro as if they were his blood. They'd found him on their doorstep in the middle of the night and took him under their wing. He owed them everything.

"Hahaoya! Grandpa! I'm home!" He marched straight through the screen floor and dumped his schoolbag against the wall. No one replied but that was no surprise. It was animal feeding time – they were probably out with the goats or the chickens.

Just as he thought, Ruka and Juro were weaving their way through the countless animal houses and small paddocks to get all the animals fed. Wooden fences created a maze between all the little houses (one for chickens, one for goats and one for pigs) and there were different sized paddocks for grazing. Juro used his walking cane to help usher the pigs into their night-time pen while Ruka threw grain into the chickens' pen so they would all go inside. She closed the door behind the chickens and spotted Dai.

"Hello honey, you just missed feeding time!" she called. She blew a stray strand of her unruly red hair away from her face.

"Class went a little longer than usual. They gave us permission forms for a trip to Kohonagakure."

Juro was old and partially deaf. He peered over at Dai and straightened. "WHAT?" he shouted. Dai groaned and clambered over numerous fences to get to his grandpa.

"If you sign my forms, I could be going on a school trip to Kohonagakure in a week."

A huge smile split Juro's wrinkled face in two. "Oh, I love Kohonagakure. I went there when I was a young boy, before all the wars and the fighting. It's truly a remarkable place."

Ruka approached the pair and wrung her hands in her skirt. "Chichi, are you saying he should go?"

"I don't see why not. Where are those forms?"

"In my bag…"

Ruka waved her hands, startling the pigs. "But Kohonagakure's such a big place! There are heaps of immoral people."

"That's because it's where all the shinobi are trained," Dai pointed out. He leant against the nearest fence and brandished his stump. "I know I'm not normal, I've got this. Before I stay in Yamachi for good and carry on your legacy, I would like the chance to at least go and explore a little. To see what's beyond the borders of the town. It could be dangerous, but the experience would be totally worth it. Besides, hahaoya, you're always telling me that the city is a bad place. Now I can make up my own mind about it."

The woman hesitated and glanced between her chichi and her son. "If it's what you truly want."

"It is." He threw his arm around her thick girth in a tight hug. "I love you hahaoya, and you grandpa. Kaito and Hikari will be coming too, so you have nothing to worry about."

"I'm your hahaoya. Of course I'll worry."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Dai's first impression of Kohonagakure: magnificent.

"These walls were built by the first Hokage to protect the city from invaders," Tori-sensei announced to her class group. The twenty teenagers stepped out from the shade of the forest and into the open.

"It's about time," Beni muttered audibly, "all that walking is tiring."

Dai would have gladly walked for a hundred more kilometres – he was fit and healthy after all. He couldn't keep the grin off his face. How had he hesitated about coming here?

Two shinobi guards stood in front of the gates to welcome the class group. "Tori-sensei," one said, "it's a pleasure to see you again." The shinobi bowed formally, her hair falling to cover her face.

Tori-sensei smiled and bowed. "Class, this is Yuki, one of my previous students. Yuki, this is my current senior class. I'm bringing them here on a field trip."

Yuki and the other shinobi guard signalled to someone and the gates began to swing inwards. Whispers rippled through the teenagers as the city came into view. Tori-sensei and Yuki shared a few quiet words before the pair led the class into the city.

"What do you think Tori-sensei meant by invaders?" Hikari asked Dai.

"Probably all kinds of enemies," he replied. "Rogue shinobi, other nations…"

"And against plague too!" Kaito added. "You wouldn't believe how effective walls are when it comes to barring out the sick." He blinked as his friends stared. "What? I read, okay."

"Nerd!" Dai coughed. "Ugh, sorry, I've been a bit sick lately…"

"Jerk."

"Prick."

Hikari rolled her eyes. "Would you two stop your lovefest and take a look around? Look at where we are!"

Dai cast his gaze around the immediate vicinity. Small houses, children and colourful curtains. It would get better the closer they got to the centre of the city.

o.O.o

"We're bunking together? Sweet!" Kaito ran to the bed furthest from the door and collapsed, groaning. "This bed is so comfy!"

Dai laughed and slid the door shut behind him. The class was staying in a local hotel for the week and paired off into rooms, with Dai and Kaito placed together for obvious reasons. Hikari, unfortunately, was paired with Beni.

The bed was indeed comfortable. Dai set his pack down and slid his feet along the perfectly polished floor. He fought back a moan. So smooth… his imagination conjured Hikari lying on that wooden floor wearing a sultry expression, her juicy thighs poking through the slits on her skirt.

"Dai, you're doing that thing again."

Dai snickered. "We're in a new place. Tonight you should probably stay down at dinner for a while, at least until I come down."

Kaito laughed and sat beside his best friend, thumping his back. "You jerk."

The door slid open and Tori-sensei stuck her head in. "Boys, grab a notepad and ink and come downstairs. Today's destination awaits."

"Hai sensei," they chorused.

Once downstairs with the rest of the class, Tori-sensei addressed them again. "Today we're visiting the Hokage Monument. We have a guest who will be giving you information and background on the Hokage's and the history of Kohonagakure. I expect you to pay attention because you will be tested on this."

The class trooped after their sensei and stared around at all the hustle and bustle of city life. There were people everywhere, all the sights and smells completely overwhelming the country kids. Kaito must have eaten quite a few flies by the time they arrived at the base of the Hokage Monument.

"This is amazing," he breathed, adjusting his glasses. Dai smirked and moved into single-file so they could go up the steps to the top of the monument.

The view from the top was spectacular. Dai and Hikari stood close while Kaito just stared.

"I'm really glad you decided to come," Hikari murmured. She laced her fingers with his.

"Me too."

"Okay kids, take a seat and our guest should be appearing momentarily."

They sat and waited. Three seconds later a puff of smoke exploded in front of them and a man stepped out of the smoke. Dai immediately recognised the standard Chuunin vest – Tori-sensei still wore hers.

"Class, this is Iruka-sensei, the top sensei at Kohonagakure's Shinobi Academy. Iruka, this is the senior class of Yamachi Village."

The Chuunin waved and leant against the railing casually. "You're a lot older than the students I usually teach. Children at the Academy normally graduate before they're thirteen."

Beni laughed gaily and flicked her pink hair over her shoulder. "That's because they're _shinobi_ , Iruka-sensei. We're simple country folk. We each do our part for the nation, no matter our age."

Iruka-sensei blinked and shared a glance with Tori-sensei. Dai rolled his eyes and pulled a face, and Hikari giggled.

It was then that Iruka-sensei launched into the history of how Kohonagakure was founded, by an alliance between the Uchiha and Senju family. The head of the Senju family used a special jutsu to build most of the village's infrastructure and the head of the Uchiha family came up with the name Kohonagakure.

Hikari leant close to whisper in Dai's ear. "There's only one Uchiha left now. The entire clan was massacred years ago."

"I didn't think that was actually true."

"It is," Kaito murmured. "Imagine what it'd be like, if your whole family was killed in front of you."

Dai shuddered. "I don't even want to think about that. It sounds… well it doesn't sound good." He looked back at Iruka-sensei and flushed as the Chuunin was staring straight at him, or rather, staring at his invisible right arm. Was a missing arm such an oddity in Kohonagakure? Surely there were people with missing limbs here.

Iruka-sensei shook his head and smiled, returning to his lecture. Dai stayed silent from then on and took notes.

After the Hokage Monument, Iruka-sensei took them to the Forty-Fourth Training Ground (or the Forest of Death as citizens called it). He described the array of creatures inside and told them how the Chuunin exams were held in the forest. That led him to explain the whole shinobi system: Academy graduates became Genin, then they had to pass a test to become Chuunin, and after that they had to work to prove that they had what it took to become Jounin.

"Academy senseis rarely become Jounin," Iruka-sensei said sadly. "We spend too much time teaching instead of doing all the missions required to be a Jounin."

After the Forty-Fourth Training Ground, Iruka-sensei bade them goodbye with promise to meet them tomorrow for a tour of Kikyō Castle and a visit to the Hot Springs. Tori-sensei led them back to the hotel and told them to study their notes while dinner was being prepared.

Dai leant on the window sill and stared out as Kohonagakure became dark. "I never thought I'd be here."

"Me neither." Kaito sat cross-legged on his bed with both his and Dai's notes spread out in front. "I do admit; it'd be pretty cool to go to the hospital here. The nurses and doctors here have actual shinobi training and they could teach me something."

"You'd have to be a special type of person for that to happen. Think: how many people in Kohonagakure want to be doctors? Competition is fierce and you're from Yamachi Village. Pretty much no one knows our village exists because they're all caught up in their own lives."

"You're not making any sense."

"Uh… outlying villages are of lesser value to this one. They consider our affairs less important because nothing interesting happens in Yamachi."

"Who's they?"

"They, um, the people here."

Kaito considered his words. "That makes sense. It means I'll have to work harder to distinguish myself." He smiled and straightened his glasses. "I'm going to ask Tori-sensei about my options. Maybe she could get me into the library."

Dai smirked. "Don't come back before dinner."

"Jerk."

Kaito gathered the notes and left the room. The door slid again two minutes later and Hikari entered.

"Beni is _such_ a pain…" She crossed the room and plonked down beside her boyfriend. "What did you think of the places we visited today?"

"It was interesting. I'm glad Tori-sensei organised the trip." He turned to look at her and saw her gaze flick to his lips. Dai chuckled and stroked her face with his only hand. "We have the room to ourselves."

She licked her lips and shuffled over to Kaito's bed, where the only candle was lit. She blew it out and sat back, beckoning Dai with her eyes. He was quick to crawl over and pin her down, raining kisses all over her face and neck.

He couldn't see her thighs, but the mixture of her soft skin and the smooth planks was intoxicating.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _"_ _Uh, Dai… it's dark."_

 _"_ _We have to go. Tori-sensei told us to be back before dark and in an unfamiliar place you have to listen to someone who knows what they're talking about."_

 _"_ _Hikari, Kaito, stay close."_

 _"_ _Hey kids."_

 _"_ _Guys…"_

 _"_ _Ow!"_

 _"_ _Let my friend go!"_

 _"_ _Kids shouldn't be out after dark. There are bad people around who want your money. Give me everything you have."_

 _"_ _We want the girl too. Hand her over."_

 _"_ _Back off!"_

 _"_ _Oh, you won't have a choice boy. Money and the girl and we'll let you live. We'd just_ hate _to leave a body trail."_

 _"_ _Guys, just go!"_

 _"_ _Shouting, bad, bad, bad. You should be a quiet little boy."_

 _"_ _LET MY FRIEND GO!"_

 _"_ _AN UCHIHA?"_

 _"_ _Dai, stop!"_

 _"_ _I'm sorry, but I had to protect you. They were going to…"_

 _"_ _Dai…"_

 _"_ _Dai, your eyes…"_

o.O.o

"AH!"

Dai spluttered and gasped for breath. Water dripped from his face and he tried to wipe his eyes, but his arm was bound. Wait, what? Why was he tied to a chair? Where was he? The room – he assumed it was a room – was pitch black except for the skylight shining down on him. It was almost blinding. He peered against the light and saw a silhouette holding a now-empty bucket.

"Rise and shine baka."

The silhouette stepped into the light and Dai cringed at the hideous scars on its face.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "What's going on?"

The man struck him. "I ask the questions here, you got that?" Dai glared defiantly. "No? You asked for it." The man curled his hand into a fist and punched Dai's jaw with so much force that the captive saw stars. He yelled and tried to push back but the chair was bolted to the floor. In his dazed state, his thoughts caught up to him and he met the next punch head-on.

"Hikari!" he groaned. "Kaito!" The last thing he remembered was the two men bearing down on them and everything went red. Then he woke up here to a bucket of water to the face.

The punches ceased and the man grabbed Dai's long hair, pulling his head back. "Are those the names of the kids you were found with?" he demanded.

"Hai… where are they?"

The hand tightened and Dai winced. "No more questions. Or I'll pull your precious hair out."

"My precious…?"

"Quiet!"

Seriously, what the hell was going on? Dai was just a simple farm boy, he'd never done anything to displease anyone and now he was being tortured in a darkened room by some strange man.

"Tell me your name."

"Dai, Dai Nakamura."

The hand jerked back. "Don't lie to me. TELL ME YOUR NAME!"

"DAI NAKAMURA!"

"LIAR! YOU'RE AN UCHIHA!"

Dai screamed as the hand let go of his hair and buried itself in his middle. He gasped for breath, fear and pain reverberating through every cell of his body, and tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

"What are you doing in Kohonagakure? Are you here to kill the Hokage?"

"Wha… I-"

"Tell me!"

"I'm here on a school trip! My sensei organised it and the rest of my class is here too!"

The man snickered. "You're a good liar, but I'm a good interrogator. I'll get the truth from you."

Dai panicked. "But… that is the truth."

"Oh? Then how do you explain your Sharingan?"

"My what?" He gritted his teeth as the hand stung his cheek.

"Your Sharingan eyes! My team saw them as clear as anything before you killed those men last night."

"I killed…" He wanted to scream.

The man smirked and grabbed his hair again. "A clever move, using a genjutsu to make it look like you only have one arm. You must be pretty powerful to keep it up with Chakra dampeners in the room. I haven't seen skill like that in years."

"But I'm not using a genjutsu I was born with one arm and I don't have whatever this Sharingan is, my name is Dai Nakamura, I'm from Yamachi Village and I'm seventeen-years-old, I came to Kohonagakure on a school trip and all I remember about last night is that I was going back to the hotel with my friends when we were attacked. That's the truth, I swear!"

The hand released his hair and Dai sucked in a deep breath. His head and torso ached and the stump of his right arm tingled unpleasantly. Was it really that difficult to believe that he only had one arm? He'd had to live with the bloody thing for seventeen years!

He blinked in confusion as the man disappeared in a puff of smoke.

o.O.o

"Hello! Is anyone there! Can anyone hear me?"

No reply.

Dai struggled against his bonds, anger fuelling his every move. If the anger wasn't pumping through his system he wouldn't be able to move through the pain of his beating. At the moment he was numb, unable to feel anything but anger. He tried not to think about what the man had told him. He'd _killed_ someone? And he was an Uchiha? Whatever that was… and what the hell was a Sharingan? Kaito would know, he'd actually paid attention to their sensei when she'd taken the class on several tours around Kohonagakure. He was a genius. Dai hoped he was okay, and Hikari too. If anything had happened to Hikari he would kill whoever hurt her. That was a promise. No one messed with the girl he loved and got away with it.

Sweat trickled down the bruises on his face and he tugged ever more. Just a little more and he could free his arm. They'd bound his stump at the upper arm so that was useless. It was useless anyway.

A door opened and he immediately stopped moving. The man who'd punched him before appeared in the light, but beside him was another man in familiar robes. Dai had seen a picture of him in the school room and his face was immortalised on a monument above the village. The Hokage?

"Dai Nakamura, is it?" the old man asked.

"That's right."

"What do you know of the Uchihas?"

The boy attempted a shrug but his bonds got in the way. "A clan? I don't know. You make it sound dangerous."

"My boy, the Uchiha are one of the most powerful clans in the village."

"Oh."

"All but one has been killed."

" _Oh_."

"The distinguishing features of this clan are black hair, pale skin and red eyes."

"But my eyes aren't red."

"It is a kekkei genkai, a bloodline trait. The eyes are called Sharingan and they allow the user to copy an opponent's moves and detect things that normal eyes can't."

"And you think I have this Sharingan?"

"Hai. The Chuunin who came to your aid reported seeing them."

 _Overload! Brain overload! Brain going to explode!_ This was impossible. Dai knew he was adopted, but if what the Hokage was saying was true…

"It can't be true, can it? I'm just Dai Nakamura."

"Are you adopted?" The Hokage eyed the boy curiously.

Dai shifted. "Hai. Ruka Nakamura took me in. I was left on her doorstep in the middle of the night when I was hours old. She never knew who my parents were."

The Hokage stepped closer and pressed his hands to the bonds holding Dai to the chair. They snapped and Dai immediately stood and backed away from the two men. The Hokage raised his hands in surrender while the other man lowered his hand to his kunai pouch. "You are not a threat to this village," the Hokage said. "If you would come with me, we can get those injuries looked at."


	5. Chapter 4

Sasuke is quite OOC but no matter how many times I wrote and rewrote this scene it ended up the same. The ambiguity is purposeful.

o.O.o

 **Chapter 4**

The teenager couldn't help but hate the man who'd tortured him – who he learned was named Ibiki. A medic had dabbed a paste on his bruises and used Chakra to heal the cuts and abrasions. It could have been worse.

Now Dai sat in the Hokage's office. The Hokage sat at his desk smoking a pipe while Ibiki stood in the doorway.

"Your two friends corroborated your story and asked if you were okay," the old man eventually said. "I sent them back to the hotel with a Chuunin for protection."

"Were they hurt?"

"No."

"Can I go?"

"You have to understand that as an Uchiha you pose a certain risk to Kohonagakure."

Dai rubbed his face. "How am I a risk? Please explain it to me. I've been perfectly fine for the last seventeen years and if I was going to destroy your village I would have done it a long time ago. I don't understand why I'm still here."

The Hokage laced his fingers together and rested his chin on them. "Your Sharingan eyes can be stolen, Dai. It's a dangerous power to have and you could be attacked. Your family could be attacked, or the people you love."

"I don't want the Sharingan. I don't care about the Sharingan or the Uchihas or anything. I just want to go back to my village and family." He rubbed his stump absent-mindedly. "Please, I'm only seventeen. I have my whole life ahead of me…"

Something flickered in the Hokage's eyes. Dai closed his own eyes and fought tears. Hadn't he been punished already? It was bad enough that he'd been born with one arm, but now he was being reprimanded for something else that was out of his control. It wasn't his fault he was an Uchiha-whatsis, and that he had those weird eyes. He was protecting his friends. He was protecting his precious people and there was no way they could despise him for that.

The Hokage sighed and removed his pipe. "I will let you go. Being an Uchiha is something you cannot help. However, there is something I would like you to do first."

"Okay?"

o.O.o

"Dai Nakamura, meet Sasuke Uchiha."

Dai stared at the handsome young boy in front of him. Sasuke glared arrogantly but otherwise his face was blank. He glanced down at Dai's missing arm with an air of contempt and Dai wished he hadn't agreed to the Hokage's terms. The man in question turned and strolled away, leaving the two boys together. 'Talk', the old man had said. About what?

Dai glanced around. They were on a bridge somewhere in Kohonagakure – he wasn't sure where – and there were probably plenty of shinobi surrounding the area in case something happened.

"So…" he fidgeted. "You're an Uchiha?"

"You're an Uchiha."

"Uh… I guess that's right. I guess that also makes us cousins or something."

Sasuke folded his arms. "Show me the Sharingan. I want to know it's the real deal."

Dai scratched the back of his neck. "I don't even know how I did it the first time. I was protecting my friends and then everything went red and I don't remember it. When did you first get your Sharingan?"

"Not long ago." Something in Sasuke's posture relaxed. "I was protecting my team on a mission."

The elder sat cross-legged and the younger leant against the bridge railing. "Have you always lived here?"

"Since I was born." A faraway look crossed Sasuke's face. "What was it like? Growing up without people expecting anything from you? It must have been nice."

"It was. I have a grandpa and hahaoya that love me, friends and a girlfriend. I'm no different to the rest of them than I am to you."

Sasuke laughed bitterly. "You make it sound so easy. Whenever people look at me they see the Uchiha clan. Nothing more, nothing less. Then again, they didn't see the bodies of everyone they cared about. They didn't see their dead parents. Their own brother didn't murder their entire family."

Dai's heart panged at that. His real parents were killed by Sasuke's brother. But… they were never his parents. They chose to abandon him. As far as he was concerned, Ruka Nakamura was his real hahaoya.

"Look Sasuke – how old are you?"

"Twelve."

"It's a lot for a kid to deal with, I grant you, but you don't have to do it alone. There are good people in this world. I know plenty of them. Maybe you know some too and all you have to do is let them in. Trust me, life is a lot better with friends."

Sasuke shook his head. "No, I don't have time for friends. They'd just slow me down. I have to kill Itachi. He killed our family, he killed _your_ family. How can you not hate him for that?"

"Your family isn't my family, Sasuke. Please understand that. I'm just saying… you don't have to be alone." Dai smiled crookedly. "We're both Uchihas after all. Your Hokage asked that I talk to you and I see why. You need someone to talk to."

"No I don't."

Dai stood and held out his arm. He ached to comfort this boy, this boy who hid everything behind a mask of indifference. "My name is Dai Nakamura and I'm seventeen-years-old. I'm adopted and I live on a farm. I love my family and friends. I hate causing others pain. I want to hug you."

Sasuke glared. "Hey, I just met you."

"And it's crazy, but we're family, Sasuke. This is all strange to me too."

The glare disappeared from Sasuke's face and he looked at Dai for a long moment. "Come with me."

He turned and Dai followed him across the bridge and down a few deserted paths. They eventually reached an open green space and Dai's gaze zeroed in on huge stone epitaphs in the centre. The boys approached the epitaphs and Sasuke knelt reverently. Dai copied him.

"These are the names of all the shinobi who have died in service of Kohona," Sasuke said quietly. It was a _big_ stone. "All those names there? That's our clan."

 _Uchiha. Uchiha. Uchiha_. They had a whole row to themselves.

"We were a big clan," Dai stated. He glanced down at where his right arm should be. Sasuke noticed the look.

"Uchihas never accepted anything less than perfection. We were bred to be the best shinobi in the land. One arm? It's no wonder you were abandoned. Better abandoned then face the shame of having a crippled child, especially a son."

"You're wise for a twelve-year-old." Dai smiled and looked back at the epitaph. "I always wished I'd known my real parents. But now… now I don't."

Sasuke sighed. "Up until now I thought that the only surviving Uchihas were my _brother_ and I. Even though I'm sorry that you have the burden of being an Uchiha, I'm glad there's someone else."

Power surged through Dai, brought on by emotion. His breath caught and he lurched forward. He felt Sasuke's hands gripping his sides and straightened, only to gape at where they were. Instead of a green space, they knelt in an empty wheat field. A slight breeze blew the wheat to and fro but it was silent.

"Where are we?" Dai asked. He noticed that Sasuke was gaping too. The younger shook his head to focus.

"This is the Mangekyo Sharingan. It's the most advanced form of Sharingan ever! The only way to unlock it is trauma from the death of someone close to you, as far as I know."

Dai quelled the panic that rose in his chest. Hikari and Kaito were okay, he'd been told they were okay. "I killed two men the other night. They threatened my friends and I was told I killed them." He pushed the ugly thoughts aside and looked around them. "This looks a bit like the farms at home."

"It feels really peaceful." The ghost of a smile touched Sasuke's face. Dai decided to take a stab at how the younger was feeling.

"Sasuke, I know you hate your brother for what he did to your family, but you can only forgive and forget. Revenge won't bring your family back. It won't numb the pain of their loss. All you can do is move on from the past and embrace the future. You have friends. You have people who care about you. _I_ care about you. Plus, you're a shinobi. Shinobi are dedicated to the service of their Village, not selfish quests for vengeance. I've read a lot of stories about people who go on quests for vengeance, and a lot of them turn out evil."

Sasuke frowned. "What are you trying to say here?"

Dai shrugged. "Let go of your hate? Serve the Village and defend the little guys from the big baddies? You know, usual inspirational stuff. You have a lot of potential Sasuke, I know that just by looking at you."

The genjutsu faded and they were back in the green space with the epitaphs in front of them. Dai swayed where he knelt and shook his head to clear it.

"You've never used your chakra before, that's why you're so tired." Sasuke stood and helped Dai up. Before Dai knew what was happening, the younger was hugging him. "Thank you for making me not the only Uchiha."

"It wasn't my choice." Dai wrapped his one arm around Sasuke and squeezed. "But thank you to you too."

"You're really wise. It's not like no one's told me all this before but… it's the first time I've listened. I'm going to be nicer to my teammates."

"Friends are the best gift in the world."

They separated and Sasuke wore the biggest smile Dai had ever seen. "Will you be in Kohona long?"

"No. I'm only here for like a week on a school trip. But after I get home can I write to you?"

"I'd like that."


	6. Chapter 5

Wasn't this story meant to be finished? Yes. Did I delete the previous epilogue and decide to expand on the characters and story? Yes. The reason for this? Prompting from fellow Naruto fan **KorrieChan** , to whom I say thank you. I didn't intend for this story to continue and you gave me the will to do so.

And to all those SasuSaku, NaruSaku and NaruHina etc. fans out there... I make no apologies.

SasuNaru all the way!

o.O.o

 **Chapter 5**

Kakashi Hatake entered the Hokage's office, feeling slightly on edge. The summons had been completely unexpected. He'd already submitted his report for Team 7's mission to the Land of Waves. The only thing he could think of was an urgent A-ranked mission. But if so, there were plenty of other Jounin to choose from.

Yeah… Kakashi had no idea what to expect.

"Kakashi, please sit," the Hokage said. Kakashi sat cross-legged and bowed his head slightly.

"Hokage-sama, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"An Uchiha." The Hokage was silent for a moment before he sighed. "Young Sasuke is not the last Uchiha, as many believe." Thanks to his mask, the Hokage didn't see the force of Kakashi's shock.

"Another Uchiha survived the massacre?"

The Hokage laced his fingers together. Kakashi had never seen such a troubled look on his face before.

"Hai. I do not know what this means for the village."

"It means we have two Uchihas to train." Kakashi smiled. "How did the new kid survive?"

" _He_ survived because he is crippled." Kakashi's smile dropped. "He possesses no right arm, and therefore can't perform the hand-signals required for jutsu. I believe that is why he survived. I recall the Uchihas as a clan obsessed with perfection. They did not tolerate weakness. This is perhaps why they became so strong, as I understand now that they cast off their weak. This boy, for example. He could never live up to basic Uchiha standards, so was abandoned."

"That's… harsh."

"Indeed. I understand now, the boy was born, and instead of acknowledging his presence, his parents abandoned him near Yamachi Village."

"Yamachi? That's a tiny place."

The Hokage nodded. "That is why he has gone unnoticed. Had he lived in Kohonagakure, we would have discovered him. It was luck that we found him at all."

"What happened?"

"Do you remember Yakashu Tori?"

"Hai."

"She retired many years ago and has since moved to Yamachi Village to teach secondary school there. She brought her class to Kohonagakure on a week-long field trip, of which the boy was a part of. Last night he and two classmates were attacked by lowly criminals, thieves if you will, and in response to the danger, reports say that the boy's Sharingan eyes activated. He murdered both criminals and has no knowledge of the event. Further questioning revealed that he was previously unaware of his heritage and was found and raised by a farm family instead."

"Does he wish to be trained?"

"No."

"We can't just let him go."

"That's precisely what I'm doing." At the Hokage's statement, Kakashi blinked several times. "Kakashi, it's not right to prevent this boy from having his future because of something he cannot control. He can't help the fact that he's an Uchiha. And he's a sweet boy whose friends are very concerned. Plus," the Hokage frowned, "the more we interfere, the higher the chances he will draw attention."

"I understand, Hokage-sama." Kakashi bowed his head again. "Where is he now?" A slow smile crossed the Hokage's face.

"I have already sent him to speak with Sasuke."

…

"Eh?!"

o.O.o

As soon as Dai entered the hotel his class was staying at, he was attacked by Kaito and Hikari.

"We were so worried!" Hikari cried. "Those guys attacked us and then those shinobi arrived and took you away and we didn't know what happened and, and-"

Dai silenced her with a kiss and she melted in his arms. Kaito was too glad that his friend was safe to complain about their public affection.

"I'm just glad you're okay. You nearly scared us to death you jerk!"

Dai let go of Hikari and embraced his best friend. "I'd never do that to you, prick."

They noticed the attention they were getting from the people around them and Dai immediately led his friends outside.

"Come on, there's someone I want you to meet."

o.O.o

Sasuke shifted from foot-to-foot outside the hotel, feeling coursing through him, one that he hadn't felt in a very long time.

Happiness.

Dai reminded him of Itachi a little bit. His hair was jet-black and long like Itachi's, but that was where the similarities ended. Dai's skin was well-tanned from his life on a farm, his single hand rough and calloused. Plenty of cuts and burns lined his arm, well-muscled from farm work. And his eyes were so… kind. Just looking at them made Sasuke feel warm. Like all his troubles had melted away. Like his mission didn't matter anymore. Like he'd found what his brother used to be before everything happened.

He was so happy he wanted to cry.

But he was an Uchiha.

He still had his pride.

Dai approached with a girl and boy in tow. The boy was blonde with glasses and the girl was rather chubby with curly brown hair, but her smile was so lovely Sasuke developed a tiny crush right there.

"Sasuke," Dai said, "this is my friend Kaito Yamauchi," he pointed to the boy, "and my girlfriend Hikari Shizuka. Guys, this is my relative Sasuke Uchiha."

" _Relative_?!" Kaito hissed. His eyes looked even larger with his glasses.

"Hai. Sasuke knows a really good place where we can talk, so let's go."

Sasuke turned and led the three teenagers through town. He glanced back and saw Dai and Hikari holding hands. His heart panged slightly at that and he wondered what it would be like if _he_ could walk down the streets with someone looking at him like Dai looked at her. His thoughts turned to his classmates. Ino? Too loud. Hinata? Too shy. Sakura? Too clingy.

An image rose in his mind, unbidden, of a tanned blonde with a smile like Hikari's. One with a soft face, gentle eyes and a determination that rivalled his. He thought of the time they spent together in the Land of Waves, competing in the tree-climbing exercise. Of the blonde's arm around him as they walked back to their lodgings for the night. Hearing his breath so close to his ear, feeling his warmth pressed against him. Sasuke hadn't felt it at the time but now, remembering, his heart beat faster and his breath quickened. A hunger rose in his belly, one he suspected couldn't be filled with food.

They arrived at Ichiraku's and found it empty. Good. They sat at the counter and the owner's daughter, Ayame, came for their orders.

They placed them, and then Kaito and Hikari turned to Dai.

"Explain," the girl said.

And so, Dai did. About what he'd learned about his past, about his relationship with Sasuke, though they had no idea just how close in blood they were. They could be cousins and not know. He told them about his new power and the added dangers that came with it. If anything, watching Hikari's expression, Dai's description only turned her on more. There was a fire in her eyes and Sasuke couldn't help but think his friend couldn't have picked a better partner.

His… friend? His first friend…

Once Dai was finished and the food arrived, Kaito and Hikari turned their attention to Sasuke. They asked about his studies at the Academy and about the life of a shinobi. He told them about the missions, particularly his most recent to the Land of Waves, and his descriptions had them aghast. Particularly during the part when Sasuke essentially sacrificed himself for his teammate. When he told them about Zabuza's reaction to Haku's death, Hikari openly wept.

Dai's friends were so kind and open to him, despite the obvious age difference and the fact that they had no reason to be. He realised that Kaito was incredibly smart, more so than Sakura. If he wasn't so set on becoming a doctor, Sasuke thought he'd make a good Data Ninja, as he was both sharp and observant. Hikari's elemental focus, he immediately sensed, would be water. She coped well with change and when angry she was a hurricane.

Dai was not fire nor lightning, the two elemental strengths present in Uchihas. No, he was neither water nor air. He was earth. He had to be. Strong, stable, hard to topple. Dai was unshakeable. Unstoppable. Solid. Reliable.

The sun was sinking outside. As time had passed, people came and went from Ichiraku's and, aside from curious glances at Sasuke, they ignored the foursome. Sasuke unintentionally yawned and Dai noticed.

"Come on Sasuke, we'll walk you home."

Sasuke's pride crumbled at those words. Dai had immediately stepped into the role of big brother and Sasuke had missed that so much that pride was a hindrance. He nodded and smiled and they left the restaurant.

"That ramen was so _good_ ," Kaito moaned, patting his stomach appreciatively.

"My teammate Naruto loves the place, he's the one who showed it to me."

"Oh?" Hikari said. "Make sure to thank him for us, it was delightful." Dai kissed her temple and she giggled.

"Oy teme!"

They all turned at the shout and saw a blonde boy approaching, glaring at Sasuke.

"Yes, Naruto?" Sasuke asked. The blonde noticeably recoiled at Sasuke's politeness. Sasuke knew it was because he always called him 'dobe' and never by name.

"Oh, so _this_ is the famous Naruto?" Hikari said a little too loudly. She grinned wickedly at Sasuke's furious blush. "We were just talking about you."

"Oh, you _were_? And what's this teme told you about me?" The glare appeared on Naruto's face again. Dai stepped in between them.

"Sasuke told us you were the one who introduced him to Ichiraku's. We just wanted to thank you for showing him because the ramen was delicious."

"It was!" Kaito piped up. "And the waitress? So pretty."

Naruto's expression softened and he looked sideways at Sasuke, a strange expression on his face. The Uchiha hoped the blush was gone from his cheeks.

"Who are you guys?" Naruto asked, looking back at the group of seventeen-year-olds.

"That's an S-ranked secret," Dai said straight-faced. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Just let Sasuke tell the boy Dai," Hikari said, "you told us so it's only fair he knows too. He's Sasuke's teammate after all." She turned to Kaito. "Let's all go back to the hotel. Sasuke," she smiled, "will we see you tomorrow?"

"Tori-sensei is taking us to the training grounds to watch the Academy kids," Kaito said. Dai chuckled.

"Let's ditch. I wanna hang out with Sasuke."

"You want to hang out with the teme?" Naruto looked like an owl. "Okay Sasuke, let's go. I want to know the secret."

Sasuke said his goodbyes to Dai, Hikari and Kaito and watched them turn the corner. It was understandable they didn't want to stay out once darkness fell, given what had happened last time.

"Come on Naruto, let's go."

"And why are you calling me by name? What happened to you?" Naruto chased after Sasuke, who shook his head.

"Wait."

They arrived at Sasuke's quaint little house near the outskirts of town and Sasuke locked the door. Once that was done, Naruto folded his arms and shot a venomous glare towards the Uchiha.

"Spill."

So Sasuke did.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Kakashi stared at the livid old kunoichi sitting in front of him. He'd never seen anyone angrier, and he'd met Zabuza Momochi.

"So," she said, her tongue like a whip, "are you going to tell me why the Hokage deemed it necessary for Jounin to kidnap one of my students and cause great distress to two more of them? Hm? Because I'd love to hear your answer, Copy-nin."

Tori Yakashu was terrifying.

"Well, uh, here's the thing…"

He told her what the Hokage had told him, and explained Dai's relation to his student as well as himself also possessing the Sharingan, with that being the prime factor in his knowledge of Dai's bloodline.

Tori had arrived at the Hokage's tower that night, supposedly after Dai had arrived safely back at the hotel (later than Kakashi would have thought, but he'd been with Sasuke so anything was possible). She'd demanded an explanation and Kakashi was ordered to provide it. He reasoned the Hokage didn't want to face her wrath. Which was understandable. Kakashi didn't want to face it either. This old kunoichi made Zabuza look like a cuddly kitten.

When he finished, she was quiet for several long moments.

"I understand why you did it," she said, "but as his sensei I should have been informed immediately, not left in the dark to seek out answers myself." Kakashi rubbed the back of his head.

"Uh, I think the Hokage's scared of you."

That made her smirk.

"He would be." Those three words carried connotations that Tori and the Hokage knew one another. Kakashi frowned. Did they used to…? No. They couldn't have. No way. "Hai, we did." She smirked knowingly. "Quite a bit back in the day."

Kakashi sweat-dropped. Somehow hearing that was so much more disturbing than anything he'd read in his beloved _Icha Icha_ books.

o.O.o

The class gathered outside the hotel so Tori-sensei could lead them to their next destination. Dai tapped her on the shoulder and she smiled at him.

"Hai, Dai?"

"Um, Tori-sensei, I gather you heard about what happened?"

"Hai."

"I was wondering… could myself, Kaito and Hikari take some time off? I'd like to spend more time with Sasuke." Dai whispered the next sentence, "I feel like he needs me and I get the feeling that I might just be saving his life."

"Of course. Take as much time as you need." Tori-sensei glanced at the Hokage tower, clearly seen above every building in the city, and smirked. "Given the circumstances, the three of you will be exempt from any exams at the end of the trip."

"Thank you, sensei." He couldn't believe that worked. He bowed respectfully and re-joined Hikari and Kaito, giving them thumbs-up.

"So where are we going?" Hikari asked, lacing her fingers through Dai's.

"I think I know. Come on." Dai led them through Kohonagakure to where he knew Sasuke would be: the bridge where they first met. He didn't know how he knew. He just felt it. As they walked, Kaito jumped in front of Dai and started walking backwards.

"I've made a decision," he said.

"Hai?"

"I want to study here in the hospital."

"Why here?" Hikari asked. Kaito blushed.

"The ramen shop waitress is really cute, and I asked and she said she's single. I kinda want to ask her out."

"Kaito, you haven't asked her out and you've already decided to move to Kohonagakure?" Hikari demanded.

"Well… I saw the hospital and it's amazing! At the very least I want to study there. I could always come back to Yamachi."

"And the cute waitress is here too," Dai sniped. Kaito grinned.

"Jerk."

"Prick." Dai glanced at the bridge in front of them and grinned too. "We're here."

As expected, Sasuke and Naruto and a pink-haired girl who looked a lot like Beni stood on the bridge. Most likely waiting for their sensei. Dai let go of Hikari's hand and waved and Sasuke waved back. He rushed up to them.

"Dai, I thought you had to stick with your class," Sasuke said.

"Nah, we got permission from our sensei to ditch."

"You guys have a sensei too?" the pink-haired girl asked, eyeing the space where Dai's arm should be in disbelief. Hikari appraised the twelve-year-old girl.

"She's a retired kunoichi, so we call her sensei. She's our teacher and we're here on a school trip."

"Then…?" the younger girl looked very confused. Naruto came up behind her and nudged her.

"It's okay Sakura, I was confused at first too. Dai is Sasuke's long lost cousin!"

Sasuke shoved his hand over Naruto's mouth. "What about secret don't you get?" Naruto pushed his hand away.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. Meanwhile Sakura gaped.

"Really?"

"It's an S-ranked secret," Hikari said seriously. "None of us are meant to know."

"An S-ranked secret?" Sakura beamed. "I'll be sure to keep it! But how do you know you're his cousin?"

"I don't," Dai replied. "I just know I'm from the same clan. We both have the Sharingan."

"That's so-"

They were interrupted by a grey-haired Jounin poofing between them. He looked left at his students, then right at the other three, and smiled.

"Dai Nakamura, is it? Kakashi Hatake. Pleased to meet you." He held out his hand and Dai shook it. "I'm Team 7's sensei. Would you and Sasuke mind coming with me for a moment?"

Dai and Sasuke followed Kakashi to the other side of the bridge, well out of range of the others.

"Dai can do the Mangekyo Sharingan," Sasuke blurted. Kakashi could have raised an eyebrow but they'd never know.

"Okay…"

…

…

"I can't show you if that's what you're waiting for." Dai wished he could fold his arms, but settled for tucking his only hand into his pocket. "I don't know how I did it the first time. I just… really wanted to help Sasuke and it happened."

"Severe emotional response," Kakashi said thoughtfully. He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's surprising that you can even access the Sharingan at all, given you have zero experience with chakra and no knowledge of the kekkei genkai. And your age."

"I'm guessing that it activated in response to my emotions," Dai said. "I don't remember anything that happened that night after those guys threatened to take Hikari."

"Probably a side-effect," Sasuke said. "Because you're an Uchiha you have the same chakra reserves as me most likely, but no skill in using it. I bet you overloaded."

"Most likely." Dai sighed. "Please tell me that when I go home I won't have some shinobi in the trees watching my every move. It's not as if I want to make a habit of killing people." At those words, he noticed Sasuke immediately withdraw from the conversation. He expression turned the same as when he first met Dai. Cold. Uncaring.

"I'm going to go train," Sasuke said. He stalked away.

"What did I say?" Dai asked, glancing at Kakashi.

"This is sensitive information, but Sasuke's older brother is the one who massacred the entire clan. Sasuke's purpose in life is to get strong enough to kill him and avenge his family."

"That's not a good goal for a kid to have." Dai bit his lip. "I'll see what I can do to change it. Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

They re-joined the group and Naruto asked where Sasuke was. The six people went to the training grounds and found Sasuke there trying to beat up a training dummy. Dai immediately crossed to him.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. He glanced at the others and cocked his head. Kakashi understood and led them away.

Sasuke stopped punching the dummy and stood there, hands clenched at his sides.

"You don't know what it was like that day. What… I saw. What my brother did."

Dai was getting the hang of this now. He knelt so his eyes were level with Sasuke's and took his hand. Sasuke gasped as the Sharingan took over Dai's black eyes.

 _Running. Panting. Bodies everywhere. Strewn over the streets. All black-haired. All shinobi._

 _A house. Darkness. Two bodies, a woman and man. Dead. A figure. Standing over them._

 _"_ _Big brother?"_

 _The figure doesn't look up, merely stares at the two bodies._

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _To test my strength."_

 _A knee in his ribs. He gasps. Pain like he'd never felt._

 _Darkness consumes him._

The memory ended and Dai was back in the present, his eyes black again. He stared at Sasuke, only now comprehending what the boy had been through. Sasuke looked at him sadly, his eyes tinged ted. He knew what memory Dai had accessed. He recalled it every day.

"Sasuke…" Dai drew him forward into a hug. Sasuke hugged him back. They stayed there like that, just existing there, for a long moment. "I won't ever do something like that to you," Dai whispered.

"I believe you."

"Come on, let's find your team."

They separated, both smiling, and Dai stood and stretched. They went to the next training ground and approached the five people waiting for them.

"You guys done with the lovefest?" Kaito joked.

"You're just jealous," Dai replied with a grin.

Kakashi got onto training with his team, and Dai and his friends watched. It was fascinating really. Kaito and Hikari kept a running commentary. However, Dai couldn't help but think back to what he'd seen. Sasuke had witnessed something horrible and hadn't talked to anyone about it. He'd kept it inside, becoming consumed by the thought of avenging his parents and family. A child should never have to see that. Dai felt newfound determination to protect Sasuke from his monster of a brother.

If Itachi Uchiha ever dared to show his face, Dai would kill him.


	8. Chapter 7

I'm gonna be honest, I have no idea what happened with this chapter. The keyboard got away from me and somehow this came out...

SASUNARU!

o.O.o

 **Chapter 7**

Sasuke and Naruto sat at Ichiraku's the next day waiting for their ramen to arrive. Dai and his friends had decided to go on the class tour that day to give Team 7 training time, but the next day Dai had asked Team 7 to join he and his friends in the Hot Springs as their week was almost up.

"Your cousin is really cool," Naruto said.

"I don't know if he's my cousin."

"It's better than calling him your relative." Naruto beamed as Ayame brought over their ramen. "Thank you!" He grabbed his chopsticks and dug in. Sasuke accepted his own food and ate with much more restraint than his blonde companion.

He couldn't help but glance sideways at Naruto now and again. He'd never noticed it before but the boy was just so… kind. And so cheerful too. He'd rarely seen Naruto without his trademark cheeky grin.

"So," Naruto said between slurps, "is your main goal in life still to gain power to get revenge?"

Sasuke blinked.

"My what to what?"

"You know, why you want to be a shinobi in the first place. You said your goal was to get stronger for revenge, remember when Kakashi-sensei asked us?"

"Oh. I… don't know anymore." Sasuke frowned and scratched his cheek. "It's been my goal for so long but… when I look at Dai I feel so… well, like my old goals don't matter anymore. Because I'm not the last Uchiha."

"Must be nice to have family," Naruto said wistfully. Sasuke's heart panged. This was his teammate and he barely knew the boy. That would have to change. And, if Sakura gave up pursuing him and decided to try and become a good kunoichi, he could try being friends with her too.

If.

"Do you wanna spar later?" Sasuke asked. "Just you and me."

"Hai!" Naruto grinned. "I tell you what, I'm loving this new you."

o.O.o

"Oh… that feels so wonderful!"

Hikari sunk into one of the pools in the Hot Springs and sighed. Sakura, sitting across from her, sighed too.

"It's one of the best things about living here," Sakura said. "I don't know why anyone would want to live anywhere else." She suddenly blushed. "Hey Hikari, what's it like being with an Uchiha? Is he brave and strong like Sasuke?"

"We were friends long before we started dating," Hikari told her. "We grew up together. A lot of people made fun of him because of his disability and his strength of character with dealing with it was what made me notice him." She smiled at the memory. "He and Kaito were friends first, then I joined them and we were an unstoppable trio for years. Then Dai and I matured and… things happened. I wouldn't trade him for any other guy no matter how many arms they have. Dai loves his home and family and everything about his life. He's never aspired for anything else other than his lot in life."

"He doesn't have big dreams?"

"Well, he's never told me this but I think his dream is to own his own farm and have a family. That's it. No fancy shinobi titles or anything." Hikari frowned and looked at Sakura. "What's Sasuke like?"

The way Sakura spoke about him made him seem like the best thing since sliced bread. At her description of his prowess in battle, Hikari knew she couldn't believe anything this lovesick girl said. When Sakura finished, Hikari decided to impart some words of wisdom she'd learnt from her own mother. Wisdom she'd chucked out the window when Dai first kissed her but still.

"Sakura, here's some advice." The girls leant close. "Don't think about boys."

"Eh?"

"You're only twelve. You have your whole life ahead of you. Become a good, strong kunoichi first. Serve your Village for a little while. Do things _you_ want to do and learn about yourself. Then you can start thinking about boys. If you worry about it now you'll always be limited to what he says you can do, but when you're older and you've done everything you wanted to do, you can get married."

"But what if Sasuke's married by then?"

"Then it wasn't meant to be. Honestly Sakura, you can do so much better."

"How?" Sakura stared in disbelief. "How could it get better than Sasuke?"

"Well for starters you're too dependent and clingy," Hikari said, recalling how she'd acted during Team 7's training session. "An Uchiha needs someone who is independent, strong-willed and won't be pushed around. I should know." She smirked. "Uchihas are strong personalities and they need to be with strong personalities who can keep up with them, not people who'll wait on them hand and foot."

Sakura had blushed as pink as her hair but Hikari took no notice. She was at a tough age and needed to hear these things, just like Hikari did.

"You want a guy who is sweet and gentle. One who'll push your hair behind your ear and ask you what's wrong when you look sad. That's not Sasuke. He's too prideful for that."

"Wow. You know a lot."

"I'm observant." Hikari smiled and would have tried to hug Sakura, but they were both naked and it would have been awkward. "But when you're old enough to start worrying about boys, I'm here to offer advice."

Normally if someone had said anything like that to Sakura she would have yelled at them and punched them. But she couldn't do that with Hikari. The girl was so gentle and wise and she didn't glance once at Sakura's forehead. But though she'd been honest, her words still hurt.

"So, if you and Dai break up can I have him?" Sakura teased. Hikari shot her a murderous look.

"No."

…

"Okay."

Meanwhile on the men's half of the Hot Springs…

Dai, Kaito, Sasuke and Naruto reclined comfortably together in one of the rock pools, talking about anything and everything. From Kaito's hopes to come to Kohonagakure to Naruto's love of Ramen to the accidental kiss between the two younger boys.

Naruto told them to embarrass Sasuke. It worked. Sasuke put his head under the water so he couldn't hear Dai and Kaito laughing. He opened his eyes and stared right at Naruto's naked crotch underwater. The air suddenly rushed from his lungs and he emerged spluttering. That made them laugh harder. He wasn't used to being the butt of jokes. That was usually Naruto's job. But in between spluttering he saw the joy on the blonde's face and it made the humiliation worth it.

The sudden tightness in his own crotch didn't make it worth it. Not by a long shot.

"And he just _bumped you_?!" Dai screamed with laughter and smacked the surface of the water. "Oh man, that is a story for the _ages_!"

"Hai," Sasuke said, "and then Naruto got _beat up_ by a bunch of _girls_!"

They laughed more.

"In my defence, it was Sasuke's fan-club and angry girls are _mean_ ," Naruto said. "Kaito, if you keep laughing I won't put in a good word with Ayame."

That shut the other blonde up. But Dai continued to laugh to the point he started crying. It was infectious and soon the others were laughing too.

Later, when they got out of the spring, Dai went to the changeroom where he left his clothes and found Hikari sitting there, wrapped in a towel. He shut the door behind him and grinned.

"Towel off," he murmured. She cocked an eyebrow.

"You first."

He dropped the towel from around his waist.

Sasuke, getting changed in the next room, heard thumps and moans from Dai's changeroom and blushed furiously. He didn't bother put on his shirt and rushed from his changeroom, embarrassed at hearing them. He made it to the end of the corridor when he ran into Naruto, who had just left the spring. They bumped together and Naruto's towel slipped from his grip, presenting Sasuke with a much better view of his crotch.

Naruto stood there in shock, his brain unable to process what just happened, as Sasuke's gaze switched between his crotch and lips. The blonde's eyes travelled to Sasuke's wet bare chest and he sucked in a breath. They raised their eyes, blue met black, and the spell was broken.

Naruto grabbed his towel and they rushed past each other, mortified beyond words.

And Sakura, having witnessed the scene from afar, sighed in defeat and hung her head in her hands.

It looked like she had no chance with Sasuke now.


	9. Chapter 8

This story will not go into Shippuden, main reason being I haven't watched it because I can't find a good site for streaming in my country. But yes, it will go to the end of Naruto, but won't touch on any fillers.

Without any further ado, I present the next chapter.

o.O.o

 **Chapter 8**

Dai lay awake, staring at the ceiling of the hotel room. The window was open and moonlight streamed through onto Kaito's sleeping form. The blonde groaned and rolled over, smacking his lips together. In the moonlight, he watched particles of dust float along with his breath and pondered.

Tomorrow after breakfast they were leaving Kohonagakure.

For the first time, he was conflicted about his future. When he first met Sasuke he was content to return to his farm life and occasionally send letters to the young Uchiha. Now that he'd gotten to know the boy, he wasn't sure if his future was in Yamachi. He loved it there, no doubt about it, but the revelations of his heritage had spun him around.

Maybe he would return to Yamachi, at least until he finished school. Kaito would be coming to Kohonagakure, that was sure, and maybe he could come with him. Maybe he could get some land close to the city and work it for a living. But would Hikari want to come with him? He couldn't make her come with him if she didn't want to. And he sure as hell wasn't about to let her go either.

Dammit, this whole thing was just stressing him out. Well, at least the Hokage had allowed him to go home. Even if he _was_ a so-called 'security threat'. He still hadn't forgiven that Ibiki guy for what he'd done to him.

o.O.o

The three friends all felt very subdued around the breakfast table. Their classmates were talking, excited about what they'd learned and eager to go home. Tori-sensei had an air of wistfulness about her as she stared out the window. But Dai, Hikari and Kaito were all thinking about the people they were leaving behind.

After breakfast, the class gathered their bags and milled about the entrance of the hotel, waiting for Tori-sensei to lead the way.

A group of Genin approached and Dai smiled. He and his friends met with the trio out of earshot of the rest of the class.

"Thought you weren't gonna come for farewells," Dai joked.

"Obviously we would!" Naruto said. "It's been awesome meeting you."

Hikari smiled at the pink-haired Genin, who smiled back.

"Thank you for everything you've taught me," Sakura said, bowing low. Hikari chuckled and brought the thin girl in for a hug. Sakura blinked, surprised, but melted into the older girl's softness.

"I hope to see you again soon," Hikari said, pulling away. Sakura nodded enthusiastically.

"Me too! And… I've taken your advice. About boys." She gave Hikari a thumbs-up. "I'm going to focus on being the best kunoichi I can be!"

Dai eyed Naruto seriously.

"You take care of my cousin, you hear?"

Naruto blushed furiously and looked at his shoes. "Hai, I will."

Dai looked between Naruto and Sasuke and saw that the Uchiha was also blushing. Huh. Something must have happened. They'd been like that ever since their visit to the Hot Springs a couple days ago.

"Will you write to me?" Sasuke asked.

"You bet. At least once a week, if not more. It probably won't be very exciting on my end, but I suspect you'll have quite a few tales for me." Dai smiled and Sasuke jumped forward and threw his arms around the one-armed boy. Dai brushed Sasuke's hair away from his forehead and kissed the gap between his hairline and headband. He felt Sasuke's body sag against his own at the action and pure love surged through his body. For a long moment, it was just the two of them in the world, then Kaito spoke and the moment ended.

"Tori-sensei is rallying the troops," Kaito said. Dai nodded and pulled back, grinning at Sasuke. The young Uchiha smiled too and moved back to join his team. They all said their goodbyes, then Dai, Kaito and Hikari re-joined their classmates.

The trio left Kohonagakure with a lot more on their mind then when they first arrived.

o.O.o

"Report."

"Hokage-sama, Sasuke has greatly improved. He's interacting more with Naruto and Sakura and a smile is now a common occurrence. Sakura has also actively participated in exercises and seems to genuinely want to improve. They're working much better as a team than they have previously."

The Hokage sighed and smiled, relief spreading over his features. Kakashi shared his relief, though he didn't show it.

"Will you be sending an attachment of ANBU to watch over the Nakamura boy?" Kakashi asked.

"No. I refuse to draw any attention to him. Now, I wish for you to enter your team into the Chuunin exams."

"Hokage-sama, are you sure they're ready?"

"With Sasuke now an active team member, I believe so. This will be good to see just how much of an effect Dai has had on young Sasuke." He frowned. "We must be careful though. I do not like those rumours about the new village Otogakure."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Kakashi bowed deeply and left the room.

o.O.o

"Hahaoya! Grandpa! I'm home!"

Ruka and Juro came running and hobbling, respectively, from inside the house and enveloped him in a huge hug. He dropped his bag and hugged them back. After all, this was the longest he'd been away from home in his entire life.

"We missed you darling!" Ruka exclaimed. "You have to tell us all about your trip and all the stuff you learned."

"Oh," he shook his head and chuckled, "you wouldn't believe what I learned in the past week. But first… thank you for taking me in, missing arm and all. You're the best family a boy could ever ask for and words can't express how grateful I am."

Juro pulled away from the hug and cackled. "Dai my boy, you could have just said you missed us."

Ruka refused to let go and Dai didn't try to push her away. "Okay, I missed you too."

He joined Ruka and Juro in taking care of the animals that afternoon and he did a couple heavy-lifting jobs they'd set aside for him, as he was the only one able to do any such thing. Ruka cooked soup and rice for dinner that night and they sat around the table eating.

Only then did Dai tell them about his trip.

They were outraged at first, about both the robbing and the way Dai was treated afterwards, but they softened considerably as Dai went on to talk about Sasuke and his team. Ruka's motherly instinct kicked in when he talked about Sasuke.

"You have to invite him to stay for a little while," she ordered. "Any relative of yours is welcome here."

He doubted she'd say that if the Uchiha clan was still alive and kicking. She'd probably tell them all to go to hell for rejecting Dai. But since it was only Sasuke and he was twelve, it was okay.

He didn't tell them that he'd killed those two men. In all honesty, he wasn't sure he believed it himself. He had no memory of the event in any case.

Ruka and Juro took the new information in their stride. They didn't seem to care that their little boy was a member of one of the strongest clans in the Land of Fire. He was still Dai. This new information didn't make him a stranger in their home. He pressed on them the importance of keeping his true bloodline a secret and it didn't bother them. While Dai might be an Uchiha, he was still handicapped and less of a person according to some people in Yamachi (but not the ones who mattered).

That night he sat at his desk and wrote his first letter to Sasuke. He'd post it on his way to school.

 _Sasuke,_

 _My hahaoya and grandpa took it way better than I thought. They're okay with my ancestry and promise to keep it a secret. And they've also invited you to come and stay with us sometime. That is, if you can take a week from your fierce shinobi training to relax. I assure you, you are very welcome here._

 _You know, I'm jealous you don't have to go to school. You just rock up and fight and do fun stuff while I'm stuck in a stuffy classroom all day. Sometimes I envy you. Only sometimes. At least being in a classroom doesn't risk my life. Only my sanity._

 _I'm thinking of you. Please write back soon!_

 _With love,_

 _Dai_


	10. Chapter 9

Where did Kakashi take Sasuke for his month of training before the Chuunin Exam finals? Why, Dai's of course!

o.O.o

 **Chapter 9**

 ** _One month later_**

Dai wasn't usually a clock-watcher. Sure, he didn't like school and was always waiting for it to end, but he didn't clock-watch. It made time pass slower anyway.

He wasn't aware it had annoyed Tori-sensei until she leant on his desk.

"Is there a party after school I should know about?" she asked. Dai blushed and tore his eyes off the clock.

"I'm sorry Tori-sensei." He lowered his voice. "My cousin's coming to visit." If she was shocked, she didn't show it.

"It's nice to know you two have kept in touch, but please, try and pay attention. Finals are approaching and I'd really like to pass you this term." Tori-sensei went back to the front of the room and the entire class stared at Dai for a long moment. He didn't shift under their stares. It was common knowledge that Dai only scraped through on his exams every year, as he wasn't academically inclined.

Everyone turned back to the front and Dai rubbed his eyes. He foresaw many nights hunched over a table with Kaito furiously studying. But finals weren't for another month so there was still time.

The last half an hour of class went so slowly that Dai was ready to kill himself by the end. As soon as the bell rang he shouldered his bag, said his goodbyes to Kaito and Hikari, and high-tailed it back home as fast as his legs could carry him, a good few kilometres out of town.

Ruka stood by the front gate when he got home, sweat pouring down his face.

"Are… gah… are they, ow, here yet?" he panted.

"Obviously not or I wouldn't be here waiting for you." Ruka peered down the road. Her frown was replaced by a smile. "Speak of the devil! I think that's them now."

As Dai watched, two figures appeared in the horizon line heading towards them. Dai and Ruka stood there watching. Minutes passed and they could make out certain features. The taller figure had hair that stuck up like they'd been electrocuted and wore a shinobi vest, while the smaller had a blue shirt and spiky black hair.

Dai jumped up onto his toes and waved.

"Sasuke!"

The pair finally came level with them and Sasuke grinned, throwing his arms around Dai. The older boy hugged him back for a moment and laughed.

"Feels like it's been years," Sasuke said. Behind him, Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck and gave a closed-eye smile.

"Nice to see you again Dai. And you must be his mother, Nakamura Ruka?"

"That I am," Ruka replied, brushing her hair behind her ear and smiling at the dashing silver-haired shinobi.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Hatake Kakashi, Sasuke's sensei. It's so good of you to offer to have us for the next month while Sasuke trains for the Chuunin exams." Kakashi bowed politely.

"Oh, no, the pleasure is mine. Please, come inside! You must be hungry after the trip."

The portly Ruka led Kakashi inside and Dai and Sasuke trailed after them.

"I'm so proud of you for winning your fight in the semi-finals," Dai said to Sasuke. "You nervous about the finals?"

"If I said I wasn't, I'd be lying." Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck. They climbed up the front steps onto the farmhouse veranda and they all paused to take off their shoes.

"You'll be in my room," Dai said. "Come on, let's drop off our bags then come and eat."

They climbed the stairs into Dai's room, which had a mattress set up on the floor. Sasuke dropped his bag beside the mattress and Dai threw the bag onto his bed.

Downstairs, Kakashi had already dug into Ruka's feast of sashimi. The boys sat and proceeded to devour their meal.

"We'll get started tomorrow, Sasuke," Kakashi said. "You've got tonight to rest and catch up. And remember, this isn't a holiday. If you want to beat Gaara you have to work hard."

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke nodded and ate another mouthful of sashimi.

At that moment, Juro entered the dining room. He saw two new people and smiled widely, leaning on his cane.

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you both. Dai, Sasuke, would you like to come and help me with the animals?"

"Hai!" The boys stuffed the final pieces of sashimi in their mouths and raced out the door. Juro hobbled after them slowly, smiling as Dai showed Sasuke how to use food to coax the animals into their pens for the night.

"You have to be careful with Yoshi," Dai said, pointing to a ginger chicken. "She's the fastest chicken we have. If she gets away from you, you're screwed. She got loose around the town once and no one was fast enough to catch her." He threw a handful of chook feed into the pen and all the chickens rushed inside, including Yoshi. Sasuke shut the door behind them and locked it. They took turns throwing more feed into the pen until Dai said that was enough.

They did the same with the pigs and goats, making sure their pens were locked before heading back into the house. Kakashi was helping Ruka prepare dinner, again thanking the woman for her hospitality.

"As I said before, it was our pleasure. Dai's wanted Sasuke to come visit for a while and you both needed a quiet place to train. This is as quiet as it gets." Watching the handsome Jounin chopping vegetables, Ruka wished she was ten years younger.

Dai and Sasuke went up to their room.

"So, who are you fighting?" Dai asked. "I just realised you never told me."

"A Sunagakure shinobi called Gaara. He's really dangerous so Kakashi-sensei wants to privately train me to be ready to fight him."

"What about Naruto? Who's training him?"

"Kakashi-sensei left him in the care of the Hokage to train." Sasuke jumped onto his mattress and settled back. "I'm sort of jealous, but Kakashi-sensei is the best person to teach me." He sighed. "I hope Sakura is okay. She'll be by herself for a month."

"You reckon she'll train?"

"Oh, definitely."

Over the last month, Dai and Sasuke had exchanged letters every few days. Sasuke's detailed the progress of he and his teammates. He and Naruto had done their best to improve together and Sakura was close behind. Just before the Chuunin exams began they started messing around trying to figure out their element, and a very excited letter from Sasuke detailed his as Lightning, Naruto's as Wind and Sakura's as Earth. Sasuke's letters were definitely more interesting than Dai's and Dai drank in the information.

Dai opened his schoolbag and pulled out his math homework. He got onto that while Sasuke sat there meditating for a couple hours until dinner.

Later that night after dinner, Dai and Sasuke lay in their beds, staring at the dark ceiling.

"I hope Naruto's going okay," Sasuke said. "It's weird knowing that I won't see him for a month."

"He'll be fine. Don't worry, I'm sure he's missing you too."

Sasuke was glad it was dark so Dai didn't see him blush.

"There's something I need to tell you, something too personal to put in a letter." Sasuke sighed. "I like him. More than a friend."

"Good choice." Dai chuckled. "He's definitely a good match for you."

"Do you have any advice?"

"Don't force it. Wait. Let it happen naturally. That's all you need to know." Dai turned his head to the side and looked at the outline of Sasuke's face. "If Naruto's smart he'll wait for you. If he doesn't, don't be afraid to move on."

"Thanks, Dai. I've never… had to… ask advice for something like this. I never thought I'd like someone."

"Naruto's a special boy. Seriously, special. Like the weird kind of special."

They both laughed at that and smiled into the darkness.

"Night, Dai."

"Night, Sasuke."

o.O.o

"How's Sasuke?" Hikari asked the next morning at school.

"Off training," Dai replied, yawning. "But he's good." He took her hand and they walked through the collection of squat buildings towards their classroom. Tori-sensei wasn't there, so the class hung around the front door waiting for her. Kaito joined them and the trio stood together. Dai stroked the back of Hikari's hand with his thumb. "Before you ask," he said to Kaito, "Sasuke's good."

"Took the words right out of my mouth, jerk."

"Prick."

"Are you guys ever going to stop saying that?" Hikari sighed. Dai raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"No," he said. "Kaito, you wanna come over on the weekend to do some study?"

"Hai. We've got so much content to go through."

"Guys, we've got a month until finals."

"It'll creep up on you," Kaito told Hikari. "Dai needs the extra help so his dumb-ass can graduate."

Hikari giggled at that, and Dai just glared.


	11. Chapter 10

In which Dai finds out about Sasuke's hickey, and decides he'd prefer death over exams any day! I'm pretty sure we all would... ughhh I'm shuddering just thinking about it. Even though I haven't sat an exam in three years I still remember the horror... no the horror...

o.O.o

 **Chapter 10**

The next month passed in a blur. Dai spent all his days at school, taking notes and studying hard for the upcoming exams. He worked hard on the farm, fixing fences and doing general upkeep. It was coming into farming season and he and Sasuke, the younger under orders from his sensei, spent two afternoons ploughing fields in preparation for seeds, and another afternoon sowing wheat and corn. He laughed when he found out that part of Sasuke's training was to chase Yoshi the Chicken and catch her.

Sasuke liked their greenhouse, all the plants which were completely maintained by Ruka. Every morning he and Dai went there and picked a basket of cherry tomatoes for Sasuke to eat throughout the day. Things were going well.

However, one afternoon after training, Sasuke had just hopped out of the shower and Dai had just gotten home from school. Sasuke walked through the house, towel wrapped around his waist and his clothes bundled against his chest, and spotted Dai.

"Hey Dai, how was school today?" he asked. Dai shrugged and brushed his hair behind his ear.

"Eh, ordinary. What about training?"

"I'm making heaps of progress with the Chidori!" Sasuke said enthusiastically. The Chidori was a special energy technique that Kakashi was teaching him, emphasising his affinity for Lightning. "Sorry, I kinda gotta put some clothes on." Sasuke moved to bypass Dai in the hallway, and the older boy spotted a mark on his shoulder.

It was black and looked like three swirling teardrops. After spending time with Sasuke, Dai knew what a seal was, and one such seal surrounded the mark. Looking at it, a horrible feeling filled the older boy.

"Hey, you wanna come and help me feed the animals once you're done?" Dai called to Sasuke's retreating form.

"Hai!"

Later, when both boys were throwing seeds to the chickens, Dai broached the subject.

"What's with the mark on your neck?"

Sasuke jumped guiltily and one hand snaked back to touch it.

"Someone who wants my Sharingan eyes." He looked away. "I'm sorry for not telling you. It's just… humiliating." Dai put down the feed bucket and placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"You can tell me," he said softly. Sasuke looked at him and the emotion in his eyes was one of shame.

"Have you heard of the Sannin?" he asked. Dai shook his head. "They're a group of elite shinobi, trained by the Third Hokage himself! One of them defected from Kohonagakure and he's started up his own Village, Otogakure. He's been there training his shinobi and, from what I know, he wants to be immortal."

"Immortal? That sounds boring."

"Hai, but this guy seeks out strong people. Especially people with Kekkei Genkai like us, and in our case a rare Kekkei Genkai. He wants my Sharingan eyes, and during one stage of the Chuunin exams he attacked me and my friends and gave me this." Sasuke pointed to the mark on his neck. "It's called a Curse Seal. He basically bit my neck and marked me as his."

"What does the seal do? Can he track you?"

"I don't think so. Before Kakashi-sensei sealed it, I felt a lot of power. I think it makes me stronger, but from what Kakashi-sensei told me, each time I use it I play into that Sannin's hands. I become a little less human."

"So, if you use it you turn evil."

"Pretty much."

Dai let out a breath and pulled Sasuke's shirt so he could see the mark. The younger boy looked down, ashamed.

"Why are you so embarrassed by it?"

Sasuke flushed.

"I let my guard down. It's my fault he gave me this, and my fault he attacked my friends. He really hurt Naruto because of me. And… sometimes I feel that if I stay with them I just put them in more danger."

" _What_?" Dai gaped. "Don't you dare think like that. They are shinobi. They chose that life. It's a life of danger, Sasuke, and they know that. This Sannin dude wants you, and without your team you're weak. This is exactly what Voldemort tried to do to Harry Potter."

"Who?"

"Never mind. The point is, if you stick with Naruto and Sakura, you're safe. If you're by yourself, you literally paint yourself a target. Don't feel the need to walk away from those you care about to 'protect them'. It's complete bull." Dai touched Sasuke's face and looked him in the eye. "Promise me you'll stay with them. Promise me you'll stay away from the Sannin guy."

Sasuke nodded.

"I promise."

They finished putting away the animals for the night and went inside. Ruka and Kakashi were pottering around in the kitchen preparing dinner while Juro napped in the living room. In Dai's room, Sasuke started meditating while Dai continued to study. Exams were in two weeks and he did _not_ want to repeat his final year of school.

Around the dinner table that night, Kakashi said something that surprised everyone.

"So, my friends, I contacted the Hokage and scored three tickets to watch the finals of the Chuunin Exams. Would you care to come watch Sasuke fight?"

Ruka responded immediately.

"My chichi is too old to travel and I must stay here to tend to the farm. It's a kind thought, but I'm afraid the two of us must decline." She looked at Dai. "How about Kaito and Hikari? Do you think they'd like to go with you?" Dai grinned.

"You bet. I'll ask them at school, but I know they'll say yes."

"Then it's settled!" Kakashi exclaimed.

Dai and Sasuke grinned at each other from across the table.

o.O.o

"Tickets to the Chuunin Exams?" Kaito gaped. "Hell yeah! No one in our _school_ has seen shinobi fight! Oh, this is awesome!"

Dai hadn't had a chance to talk to Kaito and Hikari during school, as they were busy cramming for exams. Now, with the pair going back to his place for the afternoon, he could tell them. They hadn't seen Sasuke at all during the last two weeks, as the Uchiha was busy training whenever they visited. Dai could tell they were looking forward to seeing him.

"It's real sweet of them to think of you," Hikari said, swinging the hand that was joined with Dai's.

"Well they've been living with me for a couple weeks so I think that's part of the payback. The other part is helping with groceries, help around the house and such."

"Like the time he helped you plough the fields."

"Hai. And sow them. Kakashi told me that previously when Sasuke was on a D-rank mission with his team and they had to farm and such, he barely helped. Now he's really thrown himself into it."

Dai's home came into sight and the trio trooped up the driveway and through the front door.

"Hahaoya! We're home!" Dai called. Ruka was out the back today, tending the fields, so she didn't hear them. "Well, let's set up at the dining room table."

"Lead the way," Hikari said.

It only took twenty minutes of studying in the dining room for Dai to throw his pencil down in frustration.

"This sucks!" he yelled. "I hate this!"

"Don't do that during the exam," Kaito said dryly, answering fractional equations faster than Dai could read the question.

"Easy for you to say. You're smart. I've been bending myself backwards studying and I still feel stupid." Dai groaned and went to punch the table, but stopped mere centimetres away. "Hahaoya would kill me if I punched the table."

"Woah, Dai, are you okay?"

Three heads turned to the dining room entrance, where a sweaty Sasuke stood.

"Sasuke!" Hikari cried, grinning. She stood and swooped over to the Uchiha, enveloping him in a huge hug. "It's great to see you! Dai's talked of nothing else for weeks." She let go of the stunned boy and sat back in her chair. "So, how've you been? How's Sakura?"

"Uh, she's good. We're all good. Just training for the exams."

"Same here," Kaito said, gesturing to the workbooks littering the table. "Though I think Dai would rather be doing your study right now."

"Anything but this," Dai agreed. He banged his head against his History book. "There's enough dates in here to make a geisha jealous." That comment sent his friends reeling with laughter. "What? It wasn't that funny."

"A-a geisha!" Kaito exclaimed, giggling like a madman. "You can be funny sometimes, Dai."

Hikari kissed Dai's cheek and they grinned at one another. Sasuke looked away from the pair, an unwelcome memory entering his head of some sounds he heard while in his changeroom at the Hot Spring. Thinking about those two like that was like… imagining his chichi and hahaoya. Quite disturbing. Don't forget, he was only twelve. Almost thirteen. His birthday was coming up soon.

Ruka bustled into the dining room and smiled at Hikari and Kaito. "It's great to see you both again. Studying hard I see?"

"You bet," Kaito said. "Dai's already given up but Hikari and I are working hard."

"I just hate exams," Dai whined. "Why didn't I drop out when I had the chance?"

"Because I told you not to," Hikari said.

"Oh yeah." He looked at Sasuke. "When you start dating always remember: do what your partner says. It makes things easier."

"That's right." Hikari smiled sweetly and Sasuke wasn't sure if they were being serious or not.

"Will you both be here for dinner?" Ruka asked. Kaito shook his head.

"Thank you, but we're both going home in a couple hours. We just came to get some study done, not to impose. You have enough people to feed anyway."

"If you say so…" Ruka left the dining room and Kaito sighed.

"Next time I'm here I hope she makes her rice balls. They're _amazing_."

"Well… I'm gonna go shower," Sasuke said. "Good luck Dai. Don't destroy anything while I'm gone."

"No promises," Dai said dryly. "I may finally crack."


	12. Chapter 11

Country folk are a different breed. And we're heading into the Chuunin Exam Finals! Uni's back this week and it's going to be a busy semester, but I'm determined to continue to write FanFiction and post regularly.

o.O.o

 **Chapter 11**

Dai exited his final exam and immediately faceplanted. Hikari, coming up behind him, knelt beside him.

"Dai, are you okay?" she asked, tugging his stump.

"Mmrph," he muttered. Kaito left the exam room, saw Dai collapsed, and shook his head.

"You grab his shoulders and I'll grab his feet," he told Hikari. The blonde made sure his backpack was on securely before wrapping his arms around Dai's feet. Hikari grasped his armpits and pulled so that his head rested against her back.

The pair walked like this, Dai hanging between them, until they reached his house. It was a common occurrence. They'd been surprised he'd held on this long. He'd made it through four days of exams without collapsing. Now, on the fifth, he'd given in. Usually he collapsed two or three times at the end of exams, and if someone didn't take him home he lay there all night. Seriously, the first time it happened Kaito and Hikari left him there, and they went to school the next morning and he still laid in the exact same spot.

His brain simply wasn't built for academics.

They carried him inside the house and dumped him on the couch, where Ruka would find him and bring him back to the land of the living. Shaking their heads, they left Dai and went home to celebrate no more school!

An hour later Sasuke came home from his hardest day of training yet, exhausted but buzzing with power. He saw Dai motionless on the couch and, thinking he was asleep, went straight past him.

Kakashi came back soon after and noticed something odd about Dai's sleep. It didn't seem natural. He hunted down Ruka in the greenhouse.

"I think Dai fainted," he told her. "Is it heatstroke?"

Ruka chuckled and wiped her hands on her apron.

"No, he's in exam mode."

"What now?"

"Whenever he has exams his body does this. He collapses and Kaito and Hikari are kind enough to carry him home. It's from stress. He studies much too hard, especially given he never gets beyond a pass."

"Don't you ever worry?" Kakashi couldn't see Ruka dismissing something like this. It was dangerous.

"It only happens during his exams. I'll get out the smelling salts before dinner and he'll be right as rain." She smiled and Kakashi shook his head good-naturedly. He would never understand country folk. They were plenty pleasant, emphasised by Ruka's unfailing kindness and cheer, but strange. "He'll be out all afternoon. Would you care to help me with the animals?" Kakashi nodded and they left the greenhouse. She glanced sideways at him and sighed.

By all that was good and holy in the world, why couldn't she be ten years younger?

o.O.o

Dai woke to the smell of herbs, spices and salt. He opened his eyes and saw Ruka standing above him, smelling salts in hand. Damn, he must have collapsed. He didn't get why that happened, but he was sure Kaito and Hikari always got a laugh out of it.

"Dinner's ready," Ruka said. He got up slowly, yawning, and followed her to the dining room.

What a feast! Barbecue pork ribs, glazed with all the sauce in the world, a tower of rice balls and countless other goodies. Dai's eyes bulged from his head. His hahaoya had really outdone herself.

Dai sat, the last one at the table, and Ruka raised her sake in a toast.

"To our guests," she said. Juro and Kakashi raised their cups too. "May you have a safe trip home, and may Sasuke perform well in the Chuunin Exams."

"Hear, hear," Juro said, taking a deep swig of sake. Dai and Sasuke made do with herbal tea, and sipped the tiniest bit before digging into the feast set in from of them.

The last month had been nice with Kakashi and Sasuke staying with them. Tomorrow morning, they would all be heading to Kohonagakure for the Chuunin Exams and the house would be empty again. It wasn't fair to Ruka and Juro, but it couldn't be helped.

After dinner, Dai and Sasuke went to bed and fell asleep fairly quickly. They had a big day tomorrow.

o.O.o

Kaito and Hikari met them outside the farmhouse early the next morning. It was a long walk and they wanted to get started.

The atmosphere was light between the five travellers as they spent all those long hours on the road. Kaito talked animatedly about the betting pool, while Hikari and Dai asked about who was fighting who and what to expect. Kakashi was quite knowledgeable in that regard. Sasuke only knew who Naruto was fighting: some idiot called Neji who had an ego the size of the Hokage monument.

As they reached the last leg of the journey, Kakashi and Sasuke separated. They would return to Kohonagakure the following morning just before the fights began, as Kakashi wanted to give the Uchiha some last-minute advice and training.

The trio approached Kohonagakure and presented their Chuunin Exam tickets to the front gate guards. They entered the Village and made their way to the hotel Kakashi had booked for them.

"What name is the booking under?" the hostess asked.

"Um… Hatake Kakashi," Dai replied.

"Hatake Kakashi? You must be Dai Nakamura."

"That's me."

"Here are your room keys. I hope you enjoy your stay with us!"

Dai took the room key from her and the tired trio climbed the stairs to their room. They dumped their bags and smiled, each having the same thought. They high-tailed it to the Hot Springs, which were packed due to the influx of visitors here to watch the fights. They weren't there for long, as there were too many people for it to be relaxing and comfortable.

"Well that wasn't as fun as last time," Kaito said as they left. "Ichiraku's?"

The trio made their way through the dark streets, but they weren't anywhere near as imposing as last time. People dotted the streets, talking and laughing, and Dai felt comfortable. They reached Ichiraku's and found only three customers, one of them the blonde terror who Sasuke worried about every night.

"Na-ru-to!" Hikari called in a sing-song voice. The boy whipped around in his seat and smiled.

"Hey guys! It's been forever! Sit, there's plenty of space!"

Dai and Kaito sat on either side of Naruto and Hikari sat on Dai's other side. They ordered their ramen quickly before Dai fixed his gaze on the blonde who Sasuke was smitten with.

"You nervous?" he asked, noting a green tinge to the boy's face.

"A bit…" Naruto sighed. "I mean, I got training from Jiraiya-sama, and Sarutobi-sensei gave me some really cool tips, but I don't know if it's enough to beat Neji. How did Sasuke go? Is he ready to fight Gaara?"

"I think so," Dai said.

"I'm worried. Gaara's dangerous, I don't think he knows his own strength. I don't want Sasuke to get hurt."

"Sasuke will be fine," Hikari assured him. "He's a big boy, he can take care of himself."

Ayame brought over their bowls, at which time Kaito blushed and stuttered, and she looked past them and her face went white. She tapped Naruto's arm and pointed behind him. The four customers turned and looked at the redhead boy with a gourd tied to his back standing at the entrance.

"Gaara!" Naruto blurted. The redhead looked at the blonde with… was that confusion? And curiosity in his eyes? Dai watched his body language. The boy was stiff and uncomfortable, but meant no harm. Not this second anyway. Dai nudged Hikari and the pair moved down a seat, taking their bowls with them and leaving a gap for the redhead.

"Gaara, is it?" Dai asked. The boy's green eyes fixed on him. "Would you like a seat?"

Gaara slowly walked through the ramen shop, gaze switching between Naruto and Dai, and sat. Dai noticed that the other patrons in the shop left pretty quickly at the redhead's presence. Ayame stepped towards him and smiled.

"What can I get you?" she asked. Gaara looked at Naruto's half-eaten bowl.

"What he has."

"Coming right up!" Ayame disappeared into the kitchen. Hikari, the most approachable one in their group, smiled and spoke first.

"So, you're fighting Sasuke huh? Where are you from?"

"Sunagakure," Gaara said. His voice was harsh and gravely, like he didn't do a lot of talking.

"Is it nice there?"

"It's sandy."

She and Dai exchanged a look and knew their next course of action: continue talking with Naruto and allow Gaara to sit there and listen. No need to make the boy more uncomfortable than he already was.

Before Dai could stop her, Hikari started telling Naruto stories about his exam mode, describing some of his most memorable face-plants and how heavy he was when they carried him home.

"One time last year his butt stuck up in the air fabulously, so we took a photo to immortalise it. He doesn't know where we hid it." Hikari and Naruto were in stitches at that point. While that happened, Ayame brought over Gaara's food, and Kaito struck up a conversation with her about her hobbies.

During one of Hikari's renditions of Dai's spectacular fails, he swore he saw Gaara almost smile.


	13. Chapter 12

I've revisited the same chapter style I used earlier in the story, purely because everyone knows what happens during the Chuunin Finals. Only got one more chapter and then the epilogue after this, then I'll turn my attention to other things. _Mountain Air_ and a few more AU's for example. This semester I'm doing five subjects at Uni (the normal limit is four and you need special permission to do five) and I'm on the job hunt and working on my Honours application, so here's to hoping life doesn't get in the way of FanFiction _too_ much.

o.O.o

 **Chapter 12**

 _"_ _Well, this is it. The Chuunin Exams. Kaito, can you pass some seaweed? Thanks."_

 _"_ _Naruto's up first!"_

 _"_ _GO NARUTO!"_

 _"_ _KICK THAT BASTARD'S ASS!"_

 _"_ _YEAH! HE WON!"_

 _"_ _NARUTO YOU KICKED ASS!"_

 _"_ _That was so exciting I almost peed my pants."_

 _"_ _We didn't need to know that, Hikari!"_

 _"_ _Guys, stop it, Sasuke's not here yet."_

 _"_ _What do you mean Dai? It's his match, he should be here."_

 _"_ _He's not. Gaara's there but… thank god, he can fight later if he turns up."_

 _"_ _Where the hell is he?"_

 _"_ _I don't know. Hey, Gaara turned out to be alright, didn't he?"_

 _"_ _Hai, he was adorably shy."_

 _"_ _Hikari, you think anyone who doesn't talk is adorably shy."_

 _"_ _So?"_

 _"_ _Okay, the next match is about to start."_

 _"_ _A FORFEIT?"_

 _"_ _WHO DOES THIS GUY THINK HE IS? A KUNOICHI?"_

 _"_ _What the hell is going on? Where's Sasuke?"_

 _"_ _Dunno but- oh good, this fight is actually happening."_

 _"_ _Who are you rooting for?"_

 _"_ _The girl, I really like her hair. Dai, what if I styled my hair like that?"_

 _"_ _Don't. I like your hair like it is."_

 _"_ _Ew, gross guys, stop with the PDA. Oh, looks like she's about to win after all, Hikari. You should have taken bets. Wait, never mind. What's with forfeiting today? Sasuke better not forfeit. He's fighting next."_

 _"_ _Come on Sasuke, where are you?"_

 _"_ _If he doesn't hurry he'll be disqualified."_

 _"_ _YEAH SASUKE! YOU CAN DO THIS!"_

 _"_ _He's so_ fast _!"_

 _"_ _So_ that's _the awesome technique he told me about… poor Gaara, he doesn't stand a chance."_

 _"_ _Hikari, are you okay?"_

 _"_ _So… tired…"_

 _"_ _Me too…"_

 _"_ _What's going on? Hikari? Kaito? Woah… what the hell is this…"_

o.O.o

When Dai woke, he was in a cave.

He sat up in a panic and looked around. Kaito? Hikari? Where were they? He was surrounded by people but none of them were his friends. A nearby woman noticed he was awake and knelt beside him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I was with two people," he said, "a brown-haired girl and a boy with glasses. Where would they be?"

"They would most likely be in one of the surrounding caves," the woman told him. She checked his vitals and flashed a light on his eyes. She froze.

"What?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing, I just thought I saw… never mind." She shook her head. "It's too dark in here."

"Can I go?"

"No! Not until someone comes and tells us it's safe."

"What happened?"

"The Village was attacked. And don't ask who by. I don't know. Just sit tight and we'll wait and see." She moved away and Dai sat there in the candlelit cave, anxiety filling his stomach.

He remembered watching the matches with Kaito and Hikari. Naruto had won against Neji, the next two matches were forfeits, and then Gaara and Sasuke began their match and then… he felt tired. More tired than he'd ever been in his life. Hikari slumped into his lap, his head slumped into his chest and Kaito fell out of his seat.

Then nothing.

They must have been evacuated while unconscious. Dai stood and cast his gaze around the cave, filled to the brim with scared townspeople, most of them women and children. He moved between them, looking at each face in the hopes of seeing a familiar one. But to no avail. He circled the whole cave twice, making sure to not get too close to the entrance, and didn't see them. This was likely a cave system and they would be somewhere else.

His mind switched to someone else. Sasuke… hopefully he was okay. He could take care of himself, but with that Curse Seal on his neck, Dai wasn't so sure. And what about Naruto? Sakura? Gaara? Were they okay? If the Village was attacked he knew Naruto would be the first to rush and defend it and Sasuke would chase after the poor fool to stop him from getting killed.

It seemed he'd grown old and died before a group of shinobi appeared at the entrance of the cave and told them it was safe. He joined the rush to get out and followed them through a series of passages, lit by torches, and out into the open.

They emerged underneath the Hokage monument and everyone started running about in a panic, trying to find their loved ones. More people spilled from the caves and soon hundreds, no thousands, of people milled about yelling and screaming. It was mass confusion. Dai tried his hardest not to bump against people as he slowly wound his way towards the edge of the throng.

"ATTENTION!"

At the shout, an inhumanly loud one at that, silence fell and everyone turned to face a shinobi who stood on top of the shoulders of another.

"EVERYONE, PLEASE HEAD BACK TO YOUR HOMES. PLEASE MOVE IN A QUICK, ORDERLY FASHION. THERE ARE SHINOBI STATIONED ON EVERY BLOCK AND I ASSURE YOU THE STREETS ARE TOTALLY SAFE."

The crowd moved as one. As they entered the streets people started to peel off, heading in different directions. Dai dodged between people and tried his best to remember the way to the hotel. At the very least, he had to remember the way to Ichiraku's.

He wandered aimlessly for a good ten minutes until he passed a building that looked familiar. From there, he traced the way to Ichiraku's and then to the hotel. All the guests were outside waiting for people and Dai craned his neck, looking for Hikari and Kaito.

"Dai!"

He nearly fell as Hikari rushed from the throng and threw her arms around him. His lips found hers and he kissed her without abandon. For the longest moment, it was just the two of them on the planet. There was no noise, no movement. Just the feel of her lips and body pressed flush against his. She moaned against his lips, providing his tongue access to her mouth. Her taste left him weak at the knees.

His eyes sleepily opened and he pulled back, groaning.

"What do you do to me woman," he whispered, white-hot desire shooting through his body. She stood in front of him panting; cheeks flushed, hair messy, lips red and wet from their kisses.

"I want you in the room," she rasped, "now."

"We should wait for Kaito," he panted. "Make sure he's okay."

The sudden lust that had overcome them disappeared and they simply pressed their foreheads together, panting, glad to be alive. They parted and started scanning the surrounding streets, searching for Kaito's golden hair, and there he was.

"Guys! You're okay!" He rushed over to them and hugged them so tight they thought they would burst. "I thought you were dead!" Kaito sniffed and pulled back. His eyes were red and swollen.

"We're not dead," Hikari said. She pulled him into her and he collapsed, all feeling leaving his legs. Together, Hikari and Dai took him into the hotel and carried him up the stairs to their room.

"Hikari, can you look after him?" Dai asked. She nodded.

"Go find Sasuke," she said. "I hope he's okay."

"Me too."

o.O.o

His wanderings found Dai in front of the Hokage's tower. He looked up at it, thinking back to the last time he was there. It wasn't his fondest memory, that's for sure.

"Civilian, please go to your home."

That voice… He turned and took two steps back. Yep, it was him alright. The scarred bastard who'd beat him and accused him of lying. Ibiki, that was his name. Ibiki recognised him, made obvious by his frown, and moved closer.

"You're the Uchiha kid," he said, voice low. Dai swallowed.

"I'm looking for Sasuke."

"He'd be in the hospital, most likely." They stared at each other for a long moment, sizing each other up, and Ibiki bowed his head slightly. "The Hokage believed you would be good for the Uchiha brat. He was right."

With that, Ibiki turned and walked away.

o.O.o

Dai entered the hospital, prepared to search every room for his cousin, and spotted him immediately. Sasuke stood near the entrance of the hospital, talking with Naruto, Sakura and a tall boy on crutches. He joined the group, who were so intent on their conversation that they only noticed him when he was right beside them.

"Dai, you're okay," Sasuke said. His smile was so wide that his friends blinked in confusion, having never seen him smile like that before. Dai threw his arm around Sasuke's shoulders and pulled him close.

"Same here," he said. "What happened exactly?"

The foursome shared a look, nodded, and Sasuke told Dai the quick version of what happened: the guy who gave him the Curse Seal invaded Kohonagakure, but they managed to defeat him and the Hokage died. Apparently the Sannin responsible had allied with Sunagakure and Gaara was part of the plan, but halfway through the attack Gaara renounced his involvement and fled with his siblings.

"He turned out alright after all," Sasuke said. "I didn't believe Naruto when he told me about Ichiraku's last night."

"Maybe you should have more faith in us," Sakura sniped. Though her words her harsh, she had a hopeful expression on her face.

"I definitely will from now on," the Uchiha told her. He didn't notice the smile Sakura and Naruto shared.

"Is Hikari okay?" Sakura asked Dai.

"She's fine, she's with Kaito. The poor guy was so relieved to be alive that he passed out." He sighed and tightened his grip on Sasuke. "I'm just glad you're all okay." He finally remembered the fourth member of the group and smiled at him. "Hi, I'm Dai Nakamura. And you are?"

"I am Rock Lee! Fellow Leaf Shinobi to Team Seven!" The boy grinned and leant against his crutches, giving Dai thumbs up. "Alas, I was injured during my preliminary match and rendered unable to compete in the finals."

"Injured is an understatement," Sakura chastised. "You're never going to fight again!"

"I will fight again Sakura-chan! Nothing will stop me."

Dai looked at Sasuke and Sasuke shrugged.

o.O.o

That night Hikari made sure Kaito was settled in the room next door before tip-toeing into the room she and Dai shared and sliding the door closed.

"He okay?" Dai whispered from where he sat cross-legged on their shared bed.

"He's a lot calmer now." Hikari knelt in front of him and he took a moment to admire the moonlight reflecting off the right side of her face, illuminating her rosy cheeks and soft lips. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. They fitted so well together. He couldn't imagine feeling any other girl pressed against him. Only Hikari.

Only Hikari…

"Hikari…" He bit his lip and she pulled back to look him in the eyes, an expression of worry on her face.

"You're not breaking up with me, are you?" she asked, fear evident in her voice.

"No! God, no! I just… with my bloodline… and all… I'll… I'll likely move here within the year. To be close to Sasuke. I feel like… it's the right thing to do." He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. "Would you like to move with me?"

"Hai. Where you go, I go." She gripped his hand determinedly. "I love your dumb-ass, Dai, and I will continue to love you no matter our geographical location." He pulled her around and pushed her onto the bed, kissing her so passionately that they had trouble breathing.

"By all that is good and holy, I _love_ you Hikari Shizuka." Her moan in lieu of a reply was pure ecstasy.


	14. Chapter 13

Now we have the fallout of Sasuke seeing Itachi again. What's going to happen woooooo so mysterious! Only the epilogue left! It's probably only going to get cheesy from here. You've been warned.

o.O.o

 **Chapter 13**

 ** _One week later_**

Dai was on a date with Hikari when a shinobi appeared with a _poof_. It wasn't anyone Dai recognised, but they had the symbol of Kohonagakure on their hitai-ate. However, he still pushed Hikari behind him.

"How can I help you?" he asked. The shinobi pulled a senbon from his pocket and pressed it between his lips.

"I've been sent by Morino Ibiki to collect you and bring you to the Village," the shinobi said.

"Why?"

"He said, and I quote, 'The Nakamura brat is likely the only person who can help that blasted Uchiha' because," he raised his hand before Dai could speak, "he's in a coma. If you come with me, I'll fill you in when we reach the Village."

Dai turned to Hikari and gripped her hand.

"I have to go," he said. She frowned at him and placed her other hand over his.

"Don't get any ideas, idiot. I'm going with you."

The shinobi sighed.

"Alright, could you both please collect your things and hurry up about it? I'll be waiting right here. Go."

Dai kissed Hikari and they darted their separate ways. Hikari lived a block away from where they were, while Dai had to run a few kilometres there and back. He ran with panic in his mind, fuelling his steps. Sasuke was in a _coma_.

He darted into the house and up to his room. Ruka, hearing him, climbed the stairs and stuck her head into his room.

"Dai, what's the matter?" she asked. He zoomed around the room, arm and legs flying everywhere as he shoved clothes and money into his schoolbag.

"Sasuke's in a coma. I think it's serious. I have to go to him."

Ruka gasped and stepped aside so Dai could rush from the room.

"Make sure he's okay!" she called, chasing him down the steps. "Stay safe, okay?"

"I will okaa-san," he said, kissing her cheek. "I love you."

With that, he disappeared down the road.

o.O.o

They arrived outside Kohonagakure a few minutes later, after the shinobi placed a seal on the pair and made some hand signals. On any other occasion Dai would ask what that technique was. Not today.

The shinobi led them to the gates and one of the guards waved.

"Hey Genma! What's going on?"

"A mission from Ibiki of the highest priority," the shinobi, now named Genma, said shortly. The two guards looked at each other, wide-eyed, and stepped back so the trio could pass. One could only imagine why two teenagers, one without _one_ _arm_ at that, were a priority mission.

"We've been here way too much recently," Hikari whispered, grinning at Dai. He smiled back, appreciating the gesture.

"There's a reason for that, Hikari." He reached out and laced his fingers with her. Sometimes he wondered if she ever got tired of always holding the same hand. Even if she wanted to stand on his other side and mix things up, she couldn't.

Genma led them to the hospital and gave them Sasuke's room number.

"Sasuke ran into his brother, Itachi," Genma told them. "Itachi beat him really bad and his Sharingan did something to Sasuke's mind and he's in a coma. Ibiki believes your Sharingan could undo the damage."

" _Itachi_." Dai's eyes narrowed. "That bastard. That fuc-" Hikari threw her hand over his mouth and shook her head. Dai closed his mouth and nodded.

"I'm going to report to Ibiki," Genma said. "I'll be back after to take you to your hotel."

"Thank you," Hikari said sweetly, smiling winningly at him. Genma blushed and _poofed_ away.

The pair made their way through the hospital, following the signs to Sasuke's ward and then to his room number. The hospital was quiet that afternoon and with each step Dai felt heavier. He breathed in and out, counting each breath to control the growing fear that Sasuke was in serious danger.

Then they were outside his room. Dai stopped outside and wiped sweat from his brow. Hikari stepped forward and opened the door, beckoning him. He moved forward mechanically and upon entering, his eyes fell on one of the two figures lying unconscious in hospital beds.

One was Kakashi. The other was Sasuke. Sakura sat at Sasuke's bedside reading a book. She looked up as the pair entered and smiled, tears shining on her cheeks.

"Hikari! Dai! You came!" She flew from her chair and flung her arms around Hikari, clinging to the older girl as she cried. "He-he's really hurt and… and I don't know what to do! He's not w-waking up!"

"Where's Naruto?" Hikari asked gently. "Is he okay?"

"He went with Jiraiya-sensei on a secret mission." Sakura sniffed. Hikari hugged her gently and looked at Dai.

"I'll take Sakura to the waiting room." She winked. "Girl stuff. I'll come get you when Genma comes back."

"Okay."

Hikari put an arm around Sakura's shoulder and led the distraught kunoichi from the room. Sakura glanced back once at Sasuke's prone form, and bit her lip. When they were gone, Dai dropped his bag at the foot of Sasuke's bed and took the now-vacated chair at his bedside.

Sasuke was pale. A thin sheen of sweat coated his body and his hair stuck to his head. Dai brushed it away from his eyes tenderly, his thumb resting on the Uchiha's cheek. His skin was like ice.

"Sasuke…" he murmured, his heart threatening to burst with emotion. Fear. Anger. Hope.

 _Itachi_. The _bastard_. He was going to _pay_.

Dai stood and lifted himself onto the bed, wrapping his body around Sasuke's. The boy was too cold. Much too cold. The sweat made it worse and within minutes, Dai's front was damp. He tightened his grip and rested his chin on the top of Sasuke's head.

o.O.o

In the waiting room, Hikari held Sakura's hand while the kunoichi spilled her worries and fears. How she worried Kakashi and Sasuke wouldn't wake up again. How Naruto couldn't be here because of his important mission. How nothing had helped her teammate and sensei and they just lay there in a cold sweat.

"It's going to be okay," Hikari told her gently. Sakura wiped away her tears angrily.

"Why am I so weak?" she sobbed. "I'm the expendable one. I'd do anything to swap with Kakashi-sensei or Sasuke! They're the strong ones and they don't deserve this."

"You think you're the weak one?" Hikari raised her eyebrow. "If that's the case then you have to become stronger. Become so strong so that if whatever's wrong with Kakashi and Sasuke happens to someone else, you can heal them. That way nothing like this can happen again."

"Do you think I can do it?" Sakura's eyes widened.

"I know you can! You've got so much potential, Sakura. Stop crying over them and get stronger so you can do something about it!" Hikari smiled. "I believe in you."

Sakura's eyes shone, but not with tears. She dried her eyes with the back of her hand and nodded.

"My sweet Sakura, are you alright?" someone asked. The two girls looked up as a boy on crutches approached them, a paper bag tied to his waist.

"Lee, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked. "You were discharged."

"I had to get more medicine." The boy pointed to the paper bag on his waist. He frowned. "Why are you crying my dear Cherry Blossom?"

"I'm just worried about Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke." Sakura smiled shyly at him and Hikari looked the boy up and down. Green spandex. Um. Bowl cut. Uh. Bushy eyebrows. Err. Muscles for days. Nice. Kind eyes. Yes. Sweet smile. Oh yes.

He'd do very nicely indeed.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" Lee asked. "I am sure some fresh air will do you good. You are very pale, sweet Sakura." Sakura glanced at Hikari and the girl shooed her.

"He's right," she said. "You need some air." Sakura nodded and she left the hospital with Lee. Hikari smiled slowly. Yes, she'd told Sakura not to worry about boys for a few years. But she got the feeling that Lee was an exception.

Just as the doors closed behind them, they re-opened and Genma entered. He crossed to Hikari and she stood and grabbed her bag.

"I'm ready to go," she said. "Dai will probably be here overnight. I'll get him in the morning." Genma nodded and he led her from the hospital.

o.O.o

Dai must have dozed off. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at Sasuke's still-unconscious form. The boy had rolled over while Dai slept and they were now nose-to-nose. Dai could feel Sasuke's breath on his face. Dai's left arm was tucked beneath Sasuke's neck, cradling his head gently, while his stump rested on the other boy's arm. Sasuke was stiff and still cold. But he'd rolled over and that was a good sign.

Visibility was quite poor, as the hospital window was closed and no light streamed through the gaps, meaning it was night-time. Dai could only just make out Sasuke's silhouette in the darkness, and the even breathing of the Uchiha, and Kakashi on the other side of the room, broke the silence.

Listening to Sasuke's breath, he remembered what Genma had told him, about how he was summoned because his Sharingan could help Sasuke. He immediately set his mind to focus on calling forth the familiar sensation of power. His body tingled when his Sharingan activated, and he immediately closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to Sasuke's.

He was now in a dark room. A room with no windows and a single door. He looked around the room and spotted Sasuke curled in the corner, eyes glassy and focused on nothing. He took two steps and knelt in front of him.

"Hey Sasuke," he said, touching the boy's shoulder. Sasuke looked at him and frowned.

"Dai? What are you doing here?" His eyes looked past him, not really seeing him.

"Tell me what happened."

Sasuke's face was blank.

"I saw Itachi again. I asked him to come home. I told him I wanted by brother back. And he… laughed. He told me that I was stupid and used the Mangekyo Sharingan on me. It hurt…"

"You're safe now. You're in Kohonagakure. You're in the hospital. Sakura's been by your bedside day and night hoping for you and Kakashi to get better."

"Kakashi?"

"Hai, he was hurt by the Mangekyo too." Something stirred in Sasuke's eyes.

"Where… where's Naruto? He didn't… get hurt too?"

"No, Naruto's okay. He's away on a secret mission right now, but I know he'll be back soon."

"Good." The ghost of a smile appeared on Sasuke's face. Then it disappeared. "I'm never going to get my brother back, am I?"

"No."

Sasuke's expression nearly broke Dai's heart. The older boy slid his arm around Sasuke and pulled the younger in for a hug. Sasuke didn't respond. He hung there limply. Pain rippled through Dai and he clenched his teeth.

"I'm never going to get my brother back…" Sasuke whispered. "But… it doesn't mean I'm alone." He lifted his arms and wrapped them around Dai. Dai gently began to lift Sasuke to his feet and the younger boy leant against him. When they were on their feet, Dai led Sasuke to the door, and cursed. His one arm was around Sasuke, helping him stand. He couldn't open the damn door…

"Sasuke, I can't open the door," Dai said. He glanced left and saw Sasuke's eyes had cleared. Sasuke nodded, grabbed the knob, twisted, and pushed.

Dai opened his eyes and stared into a pair of glowing red ones. Hot air covered his face as Sasuke panted, his body shaking.

"Dai… I'm… I'm… where am I?"

"Hospital," Dai said. Sasuke drew a shaky breath and buried his face into Dai's neck and chest, gripping him like a lifeline.

"I thought I was gonna be trapped there forever…"

"Not on my watch, Sasuke. I love you too much for that." Dai drew him closer. "You're never going to be alone again, I promise you. I will always be here for you."

Sasuke's breath caught and he fisted the back of Dai's shirt. They stayed like that until the sun rose and Hikari and Sakura came to check on them.


	15. Epilogue

Throughout the entire time I've been writing this story, I never once felt inclined to make Dai a shinobi. I apologise to anyone who thought that was going to happen. Dai's character just isn't suited to the lifestyle. He has more humble dreams, like a home and family. Plus, he only has one arm and therefore can't be a ninja anyway (you need two hands for jutsu). He'll leave the shinobi stuff to Sasuke.

The ending is a bit cheesy and ambiguous. These characters and this story has run its course and is actually a lot longer than first intended. A huge thank you to **KorrieChan** for your support throughout, and **sarahgri99** and **lizyeh2000** for your positive feedback! You guys are what makes a writer love what they do.

As for the ending, I leave it open for your imaginations. The Uchiha clan is on the way to restoration, and the rest of the story is up to you.

o.O.o

 **Epilogue**

 ** _Two months later_**

"Come on, Dai! We're going to be late!"

"Coming!" Dai finished tying his shoelaces, no easy feat one-handed, tucked the box in his pocket, and rushed to join Hikari at the front door. She smiled at him and locked the front door behind him. It took a minute for her to find the right key. Give her a break, they'd only been living there for two weeks.

They walked for fifteen minutes before reaching Kohonagakure. The guards at the gate waved them past, as they knew the pair by sight, and Dai and Hikari strolled to Ichiraku's. Kaito and Sakura were already there, talking animatedly about medicine and what happened at the hospital that day. They greeted each other and Dai and Hikari sat down and listened to the conversation. Apparently a Jounin who hated needles came in for vaccinations and destroyed the room trying to get away from the injection.

Sasuke and Naruto came a few minutes later, chatting and laughing, and joined them. Kakashi was only a step behind them, and Lee a step behind Kakashi.

So much had happened in the last two months. Kaito had been accepted as a trainee at the hospital and moved to Kohonagakure. Sakura had been accepted under the tutelage of the Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade, and she and Kaito worked together at the hospital most days. The new Hokage had woken Kakashi from his unconscious state and the Jounin was back to training his team and taking them on missions. Lee had undergone surgery and was well on his way to healing and Sakura had been with him every step of the way. Naruto and Sasuke continued to train together and bond, and were finally past the awkwardness of what happened at the Hot Springs. Dai and Hikari had bought a farm just outside the Village, courtesy of the Uchiha family fortune, and moved in two weeks ago.

Naruto had been in contact with Gaara too, and the redhead had been elected Kazekage. He swore to Naruto he would change Sunagakure for the better, and he hoped to work alongside the boy when he was Hokage someday.

Ayame came to take their orders and Kaito blushed furiously, as usual. He hadn't made any progress in asking her out, but he claimed he would get there one day. Dai told him to hurry up because Ayame wasn't likely to be single forever.

Once the huge group had placed their order, talk turned to what everyone had been up to. Dai and Hikari talked about the moving process and joked about how weird their neighbours were. Lee took Sakura's hand when he thought no one was watching and the kunoichi blushed. Naruto fed Sasuke a piece of pork, despite the Uchiha's protests. Kakashi occasionally commented on whatever was being spoken and listened diligently. Kaito tried and failed to flirt with Ayame, and the ramen waitress couldn't help but giggle at his pathetic attempts. However, she didn't dissuade him.

After ramen, they filled up on green tea ice-cream, a new addition to the menu per Sakura's request. They then settled down with some hot tea and Dai's thoughts turned to the box in his pocket.

He'd never wanted anything as much as he wanted this. He looked at all his friends, marvelling at how his circle had grown, and hoped it would stay that way. At least for a little while.

"Hikari," he said, "there's something I need to ask you." He slipped off his stool and dropped to one knee. The ramen shop fell quiet and all eyes turned to him. He only paid attention to Hikari's, her eyes widened in shock.

"Wha…?" she gasped. He pulled the box from his pocket and flicked it open, revealing a gold ring with a green gem in the centre.

"Will you marry me?"

There was a collective gasp.

"Dai… are you serious?"

"More serious that I've ever been. Life is short, Hikari, and I want to spend every moment I can with you."

"You dumb-ass…" she whispered, a smile spreading across her face. "I'll marry you. I'll become your wife."

As Dai pushed the ring on her finger, their friends whooped and applauded. Dai stood and kissed her chastely, smiling as he pulled away.

"You beat me to it," Hikari said. The claps and cheers halted and everyone looked at her in confusion.

"You were going to propose?" Dai asked, frowning. He looked her up and down. There was nowhere she could hide a ring box in the dress she wore.

"No." She blushed. "Dai, I'm pregnant."

…

Silence.

"I dibs being their sensei!" Sasuke yelled. A slow smile spread across Dai's face.

"Don't worry Sasuke, you can teach all our kids." He took Hikari's hand and the young couple exuded so much warmth that the watchers sighed.

o.O.o

With Ruka's blessing, at the union of Dai Nakamura and Hikari Shizuka, the newlyweds took the surname Uchiha. Kaito took Ayame to the wedding as his date and Ayame caught the bouquet. Naruto caught the garter and he and Sasuke exchanged looks and blushed.

Sasuke abandoned the desolate Uchiha compound not long after and moved to the farm to be with them. He was a great help whenever he was there, as he still had shinobi missions, and he sat with Dai and Kaito during Hikari's long labour.

Nine hours later, little Hikaru Uchiha was born. Sakura cut the umbilical cord, wrapped him in a blanket and placed him in Hikari's arms. The boys were finally allowed in the delivery room and they doted over the tiny baby.

"He looks like a raisin," Kaito said. Dai smacked him upside the head. "Ow!"

Dai and Sasuke exchanged looks. The man who sought Sasuke's Sharingan eyes was still out there, looking for any opportunity to steal them. They would have to be careful in the future, and they swore to raise the next generation of Uchiha's to love the Village and everything it stood for.

Sasuke leant close to the sleeping infant, nestled in his mother's arms.

"You may be my nephew," he whispered, "but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you when you become my student."

And so, the Uchiha Clan began the long road to restoration.

o.O.o

 _Owari_


End file.
